Kunquat is an exotic fruit native to Asia. Tthe fruit looks like a small orange and is usually eaten raw. Sometimes, it is used to make jam and is now often used for desert by European chefs.

1. Kumquat
Family : Rutaceae
Scientist name : Citrus japonica
Other names : cumquat

2. Where Does It Come From?
• The plant is native to Asia continent. They have been for long time
cultivated in Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, and southeast Asia. They
were introduced to Europe in 1846 by Robert Fortune, collector for
the London Horticultural Society, and shortly thereafter into North
America.
• They are slow-growing evergreen shrubs or short
trees, from 2.5 to 4.5 meters (8 to 15 ft) tall, with
dense branches, sometimes bearing small thorns
• Depending on size, the kumquat tree can
produce hundreds or even thousands of fruits
each year

4. How To Use It?
Kumquats are often eaten raw. As the rind is sweet
and the juicy centre is sour, the raw fruit is usually
consumed either whole—to savour the contrast—or
only the rind is eaten.
• Culinary uses include candying and kumquat preserves, marmalade, and
jelly. In recent years kumquats have gained popularity as a garnish for
cocktail beverages, including the martini as a replacement for the more
familiar olive. Kumquats are also being used by chefs to create a niche for
their desserts and are common in European countries.
• The Cantonese often preserve kumquats in salt or sugar. A batch of the
fruit is buried in dry salt inside a glass jar. A few salted kumquats with a
few teaspoons of the brine/juice may be mixed with hot water to make a
remedy for sore throats.