[Ammi]

Waitrose is changing the name of its Kaffir lime leaves over customer concerns that the word has historically been used as a racial slur in South Africa.

The supermarket’s Cooks’ Ingredients Kaffir Lime Leaves will be re-labelled as Makrut Lime Leaves “in response to customer comments we’ve received”, a spokeswoman said.

The new packaging of the dried lime leaves, which are a popular ingredient in South East Asian cuisine, will be rolled out to all shops and Waitrose.com by early next year.

Waitrose grocery trading manager Helena Dennis said: “This name change is a crucial step in recognising how important it is for us to listen to customers and educate ourselves when it comes to the language we use.

“While some of our customers may be unaware of the connotations of this particular word, it’s important to us that we avoid offending anyone who shops with us.

“It is changes like this that ensure we are moving forward. We need industry-wide support on this, and encourage other retailers to do the same in order to make a difference on a widespread, national scale.”

Waitrose said it would explain the name change in shelf labelling, on recipe cards and in its cookery schools as cookbooks and other literature still widely referred to Kaffir lime leaves.

The fruit, known botanically as Citrus hystrix, is native to Sri Lanka and is also found in Mauritius and South East Asia, including Thailand, where it is known as Makrut.

It is thought that Scottish botanist HF MacMillan introduced the fruit to the English-speaking world, using the name Kaffir lime in the late 1800s.

However, the word was used in apartheid South Africa as an anti-black insult.

In 2018, a woman was jailed in the country for abusing a black policeman with the word.

Many chefs and food writers in Britain, Australia and the US have chosen to adopt the name Makrut for the fruit instead.

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/waitrose-c...090829451.html

[Ammi]

…just to say that I read an article where this proposed change is something that’s been rumbling for many years, it seems…as in South East Asia, where the leaves originate, it’s always been called Makrut Lime and ‘Kaffir’ seems to be not something that’s used everywhere….

[bitontheslide]

why can't they just be called lime leaves

[Niamh.]

I remember that word being used in Blood Diamond (as a racial slur) so yeah seems like the right decision

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

why can't they just be called lime leaves

they are not just any Lime Leaves, they are M&S Lime leaves...oh

[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Cherie

they are not just any Lime Leaves, they are M&S Lime leaves...oh

[arista]

Free Publicity for their product

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

why can't they just be called lime leaves

…they’re not the same taste so it would be difficult to know what a consumer was buying and using …

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by arista

Free Publicity for their product

…not really, they’re very specific to certain Asian recipes …this isn’t a ‘new thing’ to create the change, it seems that it’s being rumbling for a long time…

[bitontheslide]

[Ammi]

Originally Posted by bitontheslide

…yeah, it’s completely different from limes in taste as well, I think…it’s not a style of cooking that I have much so I’ve only used the leaves a few times in my life…

[Toy Soldier]

"Educate ourselves"

Not Waitrose pretending that NO ONE at Waitrose knew that "Kaffir" is a racial slur .

I mean OK, to be fair, I possibly only knew this because it's used in Die Hard 2 (the villain is South African) but are they trying to say that no one at Waitrose knew?

[smudgie]

Ok.
So how do you pronounce Kaffir leaves then?
I thought it was Kaf fear.

.As against Ka fir.

[LeatherTrumpet]

I mean wtf cares what slurs they used to use in SA?

Do they have stores there?

Woke eejits

[Marsh.]

LT standing up for the right to use racial slurs. When you could just not.

[arista]

Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Marks and Spencer,
the Cooperative and Iceland all currently still
use the name Kaffir lime leaves on their websites



https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-concerns.html

[Swan]

Someone had an easy day today popping to all the Supermarkets finding and buying 'kaffir' lime leaves.

[arista]

[The origins of the Arabic term 'kafir' and how it became
a derogatory word in apartheid South Africa
The term Kaffir comes from the Arabic 'kafir',
meaning infidel or unbeliever.
It was used in a derogatory way due to the fruits' ugly appearance.

It is understood settlers in Africa dubbed the
local population this because they did not
follow the same religion.
It was used in 1588 to describe them,
with one saying the Nguni traders
were 'Cafer merchants'.

But in this case it was not believed
to have been meant rudely.
It is thought to have been referring to
them in the way people do
the 'British' or 'Swedish' today.

In 1607 William Keeling from the
East India Company used it loosely
as 'Cafares' for the people in the
Cape of Good Hope.
Again however he is not believed
to mean it in a negative way.]

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by smudgie

Ok.
So how do you pronounce Kaffir leaves then?
I thought it was Kaf fear.

.As against Ka fir.

Smudgie knows