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ingredient secret
Kumquats by erin thursby
Local yards are currently bursting with a bounty of kumquats. Kumquats are mostly in season
from late fall to mid-winter, that’s when you’ll fi nd the fresh stuff at the store.
If you’re not familiar with kumquats, they are a fruit a little larger than a quail’s egg. Most are
orange in color, with a sweet, edible rind and a surprisingly tart inside. The rind is often used as an
edible garnish because it’s sweet and bright colored. Their fl owers are white and their branches are
sometimes thorny, with dark green, shiny leaves.
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“My mom has a kumquat bush, and this year it is out of control! In
Chinese, a Kumquat means ‘Golden Happiness.’ I have a huge
bowl of them on my dining room table.”—Chef Dennis Chan
According to the Kumquat Growers of Florida: “The kumquat tastes best if it is gently rolled
between the fi ngers before being eaten, as this releases the essential oils in the rind. Eat kumquats
as you would eat grapes (with the peel).”
Despite the fact that they’re ripe in many of our area yards, it’s not the season to fi nd them in
the market, so if you or your neighbors don’t have a tree, you can pick up dried or candied kumquats
at an oriental market. You might fi nd kumquat marmalades or jellies as well. All of these forms are
excellent to use in savory duck dishes or as part of stuffi ng for chicken or turkey. You can also grill
fresh kumquats on kabob along with savory meats, veggies, or other fruits. Although this little fruit is
tasty right off the tree, there are quite a number of ways to use kumquats in drink and food recipes.
Basically, wherever citrus fruit is used in a recipe, you can probably replace it with kumquat (for
recipes, see the website fooddownunder.com and search for kumquats).
Kumquats originally come from Asia. They grow well in Florida and California and because they
are slow growing, there’s no danger of them outgrowing their space quickly. They are characterized
32 MAY 2008 | eu jacksonville monthly | dish
as large evergreen shrubs or small trees. Most produce between 80 and 100 fruit every year.
They are a perfect citrus plant for North Florida because they are hardier than oranges, and
can withstand a hard freeze. They do love mild and warm weather though, and our low temperatures
never get anywhere close to their minimum temperature tolerance of about 14°F.
It’s easy to cross kumquats with other citrus fruits, so you’ll fi nd orangequats, limequats,
lemonquats and calamondin (an ancient cross between tangerine and kumquats). Small, ripe
calamondins and kumquats can be frozen and used as ice cubes in teas and adult beverages.
Local Chef Dennis Chan of Blue Bamboo has made a crisp and outstanding martini from
kumquats called the Kumquat Jade Martini:
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Kumquat Jade Martini
3 kumkuats, muddled
1 oz vodka
½ oz blue curacao
½ oz triple sec
splash orange juice
chilled martini glass
Muddle kumquats, add ice, add vodka of choice, Curacao, triple
sec, and orange juice. Shake. Strain into chilled martini glass.
Garnish with twist of kumquat.
photo by linda blakely