 | | Name: | Kumquat | | Synonym: | Cumquat | | Plural names: | Kumquats |
| Description: | The kumquats or cumquats are a group of small fruit-bearing trees in the subgenus Fortunella of the genus Citrus in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, often segregated as a separate genus Fortunella. The edible fruit (which is also called kumquat) closely resembles that of other Citrus but is smaller.
Kumquats are frequently eaten raw. As the rind is sweet and the juicy centre is sour, the raw fruit is usually consumed either whole, to savour the contrast, or only the rind is eaten. The fruit is considered ripe when it reaches a yellowish-orange stage, and has just shed the last tint of green. A variety of kumquat grown in Hong Kong has a rather sweet rind compared to the rinds of other citrus fruits.
Culinary uses include: candying and kumquat preserves, marmalade, and jelly. Kumquats appear more commonly in the modern market as a martini garnish, replacing the classic olive. They add a nice zest to a salad; just slice and toss them in. A liqueur can also be made by macerating kumquats in vodka or other clear spirit.
The Cantonese often preserve kumquats in salt. A batch of the fruit is buried in dry salt inside a glass jar. Over time, all the juice from the fruit is extracted through osmosis into the salt. The fruits in the jar become shrunken, wrinkled, and dark brown in color, and the salt combines with the juice to become a dark brown brine. A few salted kumquats with a few teaspoons of the brine/juice may be mixed with hot water to make a remedy for sore throats. A jar of such preserved kumquats can last several years.[citation needed]
In Taiwan, kumquats are a popular addition to both hot and iced tea. |
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