In the spotlight - Kumquats

I was actually going to write about another tropical fruit this week - dragon fruit - but as I couldn't find some reputable nutritional information after a quick search, I decided to leave that for another time. Instead I'm turning my attention to kumquats. I always confuse these with physalis - the fruits with their papery foliage that often feature on the side of a dessert at a restaurant - which is understandable in a way as they are both small orange fruits; the two are also rich in Vitamin C and fibre. However, kumquats are more closely related to oranges, though they do not technically belong to the citrus family.

It's most common to eat kumquats as a snack - you can eat the whole fruit, as the skin is surprisingly sweet compared to the more sour flesh, though avoid the bitter seeds. However, don't alternatively keep kumquats as a decorative addition to a fruit bowl or dish, as they can also be used in a variety of ways in cooking. You can make sauces, jams and chutneys from kumquats or they can be used as an ingredient in baking and desserts such as cheesecakes. They also work well in savoury dishes, complimenting chicken, pork, fish and pulses nicely.

If you would like to look through some recipes that use kumquats try the following links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/kumquat
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipes/tag-3420/kumquat-recipes.aspx
http://www.kumquatgrowers.com/recipes.html

Photo by Loadmaster via Wikimedia Commons