Seasons/Availability
Grown locally in San Diego, California, kumquats are available year round.
Description/Taste
Cute and sweet-skinned, irresistible kumquats resemble a tiny oval-shaped orange and are about two to two-and-one-half inches long. The thin skin of this brilliant orange-colored fruit is quite sweet, but the pulp is puckery-sour and contains small edible seeds. The flavor is similar to an orange with a hint of tangerine.
Nutritional Value
Low in calories and sodium, one kumquat has about 12 calories. Eating the entire kumquat provides an excellent source of fiber and contains potassium, calcium, vitamin B, and vitamin C. Note: Avoid eating the peel if allergic to citrus. Eating five daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowers the chances of cancer. A recent study found that eating nine or ten daily servings of fruits and vegetables, combined with three servings of low-fat dairy products, were effective in lowering blood pressure.
Applications
Enjoy out of hand, whole or sliced. Add to salads. Preserve in syrup or brandy. For bittersweet delicacies, make tangy pickles, relishes, jellies, jam, preserves and marmalade. Pair with fish, meat and poultry. Mince; serve with ham salads and salad dressings. Add blanched, sliced and seeded kumquats to cakes, stuffing and muffins. Puree; flavor breads, frostings and sorbets. Use pureed fruit as a thickening and flavoring agent in sauces and dressings. A tasty substitute for lemons and limes. Slice; garnish cocktails and desserts. Dip fruit in chocolate. Use kumquats instead of oranges in orange-based recipes. To prepare, wash and dry. Seeds may be plucked out with the tip of a knife. To store, refrigerate. If used within a few days, they may be kept at room temperature.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
The kumquat is especially esteemed in China as they adore its sensational orange color. Family homes in China boast small, potted kumquat trees that bear this prized fruit. Eaten as a confection in the past, the Chinese ate the skin or whole fruits of kumquat that were steeped in honey. It was once customary in China to have a small, well-fruited kumquat potted plant on the table during meals so diners could nibble on the fruit between courses. Chinese cuisine loves the kumquat preserved in honey or sugar. "Pen-ts'ao Kan Mu", a sixteenth century herbal, calls the kumquat fruit "chi k'o ch'eng", meaning "give-guest orange", as plants were often customarily given as presents. The most common traditional use for the kumquat is decorating the ends of a crown roast of lamb, adding flavor and beauty to the meat.
Geography/History
Thought to have originated in China, researchers have tracked this centuries-old fruit to Japan and China where it has been cultivated for a very long time. Named for its appearance, "Chin chu" in Chinese and "kam kwat" in Cantonese means "golden orange". The United States' marketplace tasted the first kumquat about 1850 and liked its flavor and looks so much that California and Florida soon began kumquat cultivation. Considered a citrus until 1915, scientists discovered sufficient cellular differences that warranted creating its very own genus, Fortunella, named in honor of the Englishman Robert Fortunel who introduced it into Europe in 1846. Sharing the same name as its fruit, the kumquat tree is a small evergreen that grows ten or twelve feet tall. Grown frequently as an ornamental and also called kankin, the attractive trees produce glossy leaves and bear delicate white flowers in the summer. A cold-hardy plant, temperatures below twenty degrees Fahrenheit do very little damage. Areas too cold for other kinds of citrus can grow the enduring kumquat tree. Crossed with citrus fruits, limequats, lemonquats, citrangequats, mandarinquats and orangequats are tasty results. The calamondin is another small orange-like fruit developed from a kumquat and mandarin cross.
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Featured Recipes
Recipes that include Kumquats. One
is easiest, three is harder.
