This is the first of the many writeups on food items that we will roll out whenever we have something in season or good to recommend to you.
Have you ever noticed that most of the fragrance of a citrus fruit is concentrated in the rind or skin of the fruit? Ironically, with the exception of the yuzu, when we have a fresh citrus fruit, it is the rind/peel that we commonly discard and only eat/use the sweeter or juicier flesh inside. Then there is the hassle of having the peel the skin to get to the edible bits. When you look into the details of the skin, the citrus oils are contained in the zest (thin, outer, coloured part) and the inner, white pith is almost always unpleasantly bitter. Wouldn't it be great to have a citrus where you can eat the entire fruit, like a pear or apple, thus savouring all the flavours?
Enter the Kinkan (金柑) or Japanese kumquat! A calamansi sized relative of the orange. It comes into season early in the year. We might be more familiar with the ornamental varieties that sprout out of nowhere during Chinese New Year. In this case, it is the fresh, farmed-for-eating, Kyushu Kinkan that I have in the picture. The entire fruit is edible but you may prefer to spit out the seeds. Yes, you can bite into the fruit, skin and all, if you want to experience the whole Kinkan. The fruit is packed full of flavour. Interestingly, the skin is the best part of the fruit!
The best way to eat it is to cut it into quarters lengthwise so that you can see and avoid the seeds. It is optional to remove the fleshy part but it is the skin that you eat. You must be wondering what it tastes like. It kind of taste like a cross between an orange and lime in aroma, with muscat like sweetness in the pith, whereas the flesh is sour and has a stringy texture. Eating a Kinkan leaves a citrusy, savoury and creamy after taste. Some people might feel a little tingling on their tongue, similar to after eating fresh yuzu zest. If consumed in excess, there is a risk of mouth ulcers. The flesh can be extremely acidic so persons suffering from gastritis should avoid that portion. Another way to eat it is to cut it lengthwise, get rid of the seeds, then freeze it so you get a Kinkan sorbet.
It's coming to the about the end of the season soon. I hope it is still available when we open so that we can serve it to you. In the mean time, Kinkan is available at good supermarkets that have a selection of Japanese fruits. Get some and try. If you like oranges, you will love the Kinkan!
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