Good Margaritas! Tacos Without Lemon! Rejoice, The Limepocalypse Is Over!

Food Republic•

Good news for fans of iconic Mexican drinks, guacamole and spicy laap salads: the end of the "limepocalypse" — as we know it — appears to be upon us.

Restaurateur Andy Ricker, whose popular Southeast Asian spot Pok Pok makes extensive use of the juicy green citrus in everything from a spicy papaya salad to a grilled boar collar, Tweeted triumphantly this week about the recent decline in lime prices, which had soared to record highs earlier this year. Per Ricker:

Bad weather, a fungal outbreak and meddling from Mexico's drug cartels have been blamed for the previous price hikes. That probably explains why your recent taco platter arrived with an unsightly lemon wedge, though it doesn't really excuse it.

Now, NPR reports that supplies in Mexico's rich lime-growing regions are steadily returning to normal, thanks to a cheerier Mother Nature and a significant police crackdown on organized crime. Recent figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture point to a precipitous drop in prices as result: Americans paid around 30 cents per lime last week, compared with 90 cents a few months ago.

We, the puckered-up people of Food Republic, think this calls for particularly tangy celebration. Herewith, a roundup of some of our favorite lime-centric recipes:

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