Foreign Food: kumquats

When I started this blog, I intended to chronicle our forays into foreign food much more often than I have so far.  It isn’t for lack of gastronomic adventures – sea slugs, chicken feet, and a red bean milkshake come quickly to mind – but rather because I usually forget to take photos until the evidence has disappeared.

However, the kumquat has become one of my favorite treats here, and as the season is ending, I had to share it … at least visually, which sadly is not nearly as satisfying.

my afternoon snack, a bowl of kumquats

Although I first tasted kumquats elsewhere, these little zingers are native to China.  They are considered good luck here, frequently given as gifts during the Lunar New Year.  Kumquats taste a little bit like tangerines or oranges, but more tart.  Their thin rind is actually the sweetest part, while the inside flesh can be mouth-puckering sour.  

post-sliced, pre-seeded kumquat

 
They can be eaten like grapes, just popped in whole, chewed, and seeds spit out at the end.  However, I prefer a slightly more complicated – and I imagine more refined – method of enjoying them.  First I roll the kumquat between my fingers, a technique recommended by kumquat aficionados to release the essential oils in the peel and soften the inside flesh, breaking down a bit of the sourness.  Then I slice it in half and gently shake out the seeds.  And for the final touch of magic, I dip it in sugar.  Between the fragrant and flavorful rind, sour flesh, and sweet sugar crystals, it is heavenly!

this one is just about to be enjoyed by yours truly