Thursday, June 25, 2009

Kumquats

Do you know what a kumquat is? I twittered that question and three people tweeted back with various responses. One said that it was a little orange ball. Correct. One said that it was a type of citrus. Correct. One said that she likes to make marmalade with them since she has a kumquat tree in her yard. Correct! haha!

Here is an excerpt from a kumquat farmer's site:

Kumquats (Cumquats-British spelling) have been called "the little gold gems of the citrus family". The kumquat has a thin, sweet peel and a zesty, somewhat tart center. The kumquat tastes best if it is gently rolled between the fingers before being eaten, as this releases the essential oils in the rind. Eat kumquats as you would eat grapes (with the peel).

{This is what will happen to you upon the initial burst of kumquat flavor}

That last sentence is key: Eat them WITH the peel. Once I taught a class on exotic foods. I passed around the mini little grape-sized kumquats for people to taste and they started peeling them! :) Pop the whole thing in your mouth and chew like crazy since the inside is as sour as a lemon and the outside is sweet. Chewing them up together gives your mouth the most beautiful flavor!

Recipe:

Juice them!