Tuesday, March 23

Kumquats: the "little orange"


A quirky, funny little fruit to eat, the kumquat is one that you might not know. They were originally cultivated in China, but more recently are cultivated in California, Florida, Louisiana and several Southeast Asian countries.

A kumquat is (as you can see above) quite literally, a little orange! The rind is sweet and the pulp is tart (really tart!). So when you eat them, you just pop them into your mouth, and eat the whole darn thing! Because you eat the peels, they are full of fiber. Also, they are high in vitamins C and A. All in all, they are a fun and mess-free snack.

If you have never had them, they are plenty worth it. To buy them, check your local super market. They are ripe when the peel is yellowish-orange (if there is any green, they are not ripe yet). They are in season from about November to March (so get them soon before they are off the shelves!).

p.s. An interesting tid-bit about citrus fruits... When you open a segment of the fruits (like a section of an orange), they are filled with swollen cells. These cells are the only cell that is visible to the human eye.

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