Just Add Lemon? There's More Than One Way!

Distinctive, refreshing and balancing, lemon can be found in meals and food products around the world. But did you know there’s more than one way to add their distinctive citrus flavour?

Citral is the special compound that gives lemons, lemongrass, lemon verbena and citronella their refreshing citrus taste and aroma. But of all the lemon herbs, it’s actually Australian native lemon myrtle that has the highest known source of citral, yielding more than 90%.

This vibrant Australian native is fast becoming a must-have ingredient in the pantries of chefs and food manufacturers. Its high citral content gives lemon myrtle its unique taste that is often described as ‘lemonier than lemon’. And a little bit of the fragrant botanical can go a long way!

Distinctively Australian, lemon myrtle is sweet, yet spicy. Intense, but also refreshing and cooling on the palate. It has a flavour that swings both ways, elevating sweet and savoury cooking alike.

Australian Native Products General Manager, Ross Norris, says it’s that versatility that makes lemon myrtle an ideal alternative to lemon and lemon powders. 

“Not only is the nuanced flavour of lemon myrtle totally unique in the world of cooking, it’s also a natural and sustainable source of citral”, he says. 

Australian Native Products leads the lemon myrtle industry in growing and harvesting the highest quality leaves. ANP’s harvesting techniques, leaf separation and drying technologies ensure superior preservation of flavour, and guarantee the finest and freshest leaf, with minimal time from tree to the processing facility.

“Our processing methods capture the vibrant taste of the lemon myrtle while also ensuring a consistency in product for consumers, so that chefs and food producers know exactly what they are getting every single time. That’s a massive bonus when you’re trying to regulate different flavours in a recipe,” says Norris. 

“Lemon myrtle might be found in fancy restaurants and cocktail bars, but our products are used in everything from glazes to cakes, biscuits, dressings, mayonnaise, sauces and ice creams.”Interested in learning more about lemon myrtle’s benefits? Get in touch with our friendly team to learn more about how you can use lemon myrtle.