Golden fruit: fun facts about kumquats

This little fruit is native to the Southeast parts of China and symbolizes luck and purity. This fruit is planted in doorways and grown like bonsai trees. The fruit was used as a traditional Chinese medicine to help with sore thoughts and excessive coughing. The name kumquats originated from a Cantonese word meaning "golden orange". The kumquat tree has dark glossy leaves with beautiful and fragrent flowers and the fruit grows from the flowers. The tree is mainly cultivated in China, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, Japan, Greece and Florida.

During the Chinese Lunar new years, kumquat trees are placed out on display or even given as a gift to loved ones. Although the golden fruit taste similar to the citrus fruit they are not actually a citrus fruit. The kumquat fruit is a separate fruit on its own and is known as a Fortunella fruit. It was named after the man Robert Fortune who was a well known kumquat importer.

The kumquat is one of the only fruits that can be eaten whole, skin and all. When eating the fruit, there is a large amount of sweetness and this sweetness comes from the actual peel of the fruit. A tarty, sour flavour follows after and this comes from the interior of the fruit so when eating the fruit whole, it is perfectly balanced. To release more sweetness from the fruit, your can easily rub the fruit between your fingers. They are either eaten raw, preserved such as a jam or marmalade or kumquats come canned. This fruit can easily be paired with chocolate, vanilla, mint, pears and cranberries. In terms of savoury dishes, kumquats work incredibly well with duck, pork, cheese, chicken, fish and some grains. One can even make a fragrant tea from the fruit.

This golden fruit not only taste delicious but it carries so many great nutrients for our bodies. This fruit has large amounts of fibre and vitamin C but low in calories. The fruit has a bit of potassium and calcium. The fruit has flavonoids which carries traces of antioxidants and antiinflammatories.

References:

Anonymous,n.d, Real Food Encyclopedia: kumquats, food print, n.d, https://foodprint.org/real-food/kumquats/ , 15/08/2024

Anonymous, n.d, kumquats, speciality produce, n.d, https://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Kumquats_906.php , 15/08/2024

Sarah, n.d, kumquats: how to plant and look after a kumquat tree, plantura magazine, n.d, https://plantura.garden/uk/fruits/kumquat/kumquat-overview , 15/08/2024

Anonymous, n.d, kumquats, tropical box, n.d, https://www.tropicalbox.co.uk/our-fruit-blog/kumquats, 15/08/2024

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