A Kumquat? Say what? There's no doubt that kumquats have become more well-known and available in the...

1. Kumquat Varieties, Uses, History, and Recipe Suggestions
A Kumquat? Say what? There's no doubt that kumquats have become more well-known and available
in the U.S., but there are still many who have never heard of them, much less seen or eaten one. But
people's eyes light up when seeing them for the first time. They look like miniature oval or round
oranges, and like a lot of baby creatures, they are so darned cute!Kumquat Trends
A number of kumquat tree varieties and hybrids exist in the world. Native to Southeast China, and
long-cultivated in China and Japan, kumquats were probably introduced to the U.S. around 1850. By
the 1960's they were very popular as ornamentals, i.e., potted kumquat trees, which were prized for
their showy, brilliant nuggets of color.
But the charming little kumquat fruits were not widely eaten outside of Asian communities. David
Karp, a kumquat expert who has written about them in major food magazines and newspapers,
confessed in a Los Angeles Times' article "Kumquats: Sweet-Tarts of the Citrus Rodeo" (February 25,
2009), that as young boys he and his brother used to pick them from their patio pots and throw them
at each other. Nobody in his milieu would dream of eating them. But that's all changed. They have
really taken off in culinary circles througout the U.S.
TheSpectrum of Kumquat Uses and Kumquat Recipes
Kumquats are versatile little devils. They can be featured in meat and poultry sauces, chutneys,
marmalades, salads, candied dessert toppings, compotes, cocktails, cordials. And of course they can
be eaten right off the tree or out of the box.

2. Googling for kumquat recipes now brings up a world of choices. The Epicurious site's recipe trove
alone has well over 40 recipes. Some examples are: Orange Cheesecake with Candied Kumquats,
Spice-Rubbed Chicken with Kumquat-Lemongrass Dressing, Curried Kumquat Chutney, Baked Irish
Bacon with Kumquat Glaze, and Glazed Smoked Duck with Candied Kumquats, and Spinach Salad
With Almonds and Kumquats. In contrast, a search of Bon Appetit's recipe indexes from 1977
through 1979 surfaces only one measley kumquat recipe.
Asian delight in the kumquat extends even to making heirloom type legacies out of them. Sometimes
preserved kumquats could even become part of a bride's dowry. A March 25, 2010, Wall Street
Journal article by Amy Ma "A Lu Legacy: Cooking Up a Family Heirloom," described one Chinese
family curing them with salt for legacy purposes. After three years the fruit turns dark and drifts in
an amber solution. Once any of these jars reaches the 20-year mark, they are also thought to have
medicinal properties.
What is a Kumquat, Really?
Through the years the botanists have wrangled over whether the kumquat is a true citrus, and
apparently the jury is still out. David Karp maintains there's yet to be a definitive answer.
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Kumquats certainly look like citrus to the non-botanist, and they pack some similar nutritional
qualities. About 5 kumquats will provide the average person with 73% of the daily recommended
Vitamin C, 6% of Vitamin A, and 6 grams of fiber for a price of ~70 calories.
Nonetheless, kumquats are quirky, just like a pear can be, but for different reasons. They have a
sweet skin and the flesh is tart - the reverse of an orange. Some kumquat fans also insist the whole
thing can be eaten, to include the seeds. (These might be the same people who eat apple cores.)
Kumquat Varieties Commercially Grown in the U.S.
California and Florida are the U.S. kumquat growers, with California providing the lion's share. The
commercially grown kumquat varieties boil down to two - the Nagami and the Meiwa. But now a
third player has been born, the Nordmann Seedless.
Nagami Kumquat. This is currently the most prevalent variety. It is bright orange, oval, and has a
tart flesh. Its nice zingy flavor does a lot for a salad when added in small doses and skinny slices.
However fixed, it's best to think of it as an accent to something, not a principal player. More is not
always better.Meiwa Kumquat. This variety is a still a minority player, but working on catching up. It
too is orange, but is a bit more round than the Nagami, as well as being a bit sweeter and having
fewer seeds.Nordmann Seedless Kumquat. This one is rather like the Nagami, but with a teardrop
shape, a yellow-orange skin and no seeds. At present it's only grown in very small quantities in
California.The seedless feature will be a boon to the chefs and home cooks currently experimenting
with kumquats. They are painful to seed in any large quantity. Doing a few for a salad is one thing,
but making a fairly decent quantity of chutney or the like is quite another.
Between the California and Florida growing seasons, kumquats are available January through June.
Sources:
Davidson, Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.

3. Herbst, Sharon Tyler. Food Lover's Companion: Comprehensive Definitions of Nearly 6000 Food,
Drink, and Culinary Terms, 3rd Ed Hauppauge, New York: Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 2001.
Solomon, Charmaine, with Nina Solomon. Encyclopedia of Asian Food. Boston: Periplus Editions
(HK), Ltd., 1998.