KUMQUAT
Fortunella japonica
Rutaceae Family
Haley McClure
2/27/13
Geography of cultivation and origin
• Native to southern Asia and Asia-Pacific region
• Earliest reference to kumquats appeared in 12 th century Chinese
literature
• Cultivated in Japan, Taiwan, Philippines, and southeast Asia
• Introduced to Europe in 1846 and North America shortly after
• Main cultivators: China, South Korea, North Korea, Taiwan,
Southeast Asia, Japan, the Middle Ease, Europe, Pakistan, and
southern United States
Morphological description
• Small sized evergreen tree
• Mature tree bears several hundred olive-sized, golden-yellow fruits
in winter
• Fruit flesh resembles an orange: segments firmly adhered to each
other and the rind
• 1-2 seeds placed centrally
• Fruit can be round or oval shaped
• Peel has a sweet flavor; flesh has a sour flavor
Features of cultivation
• Cultivated throughout subtropics
• Requires hot summer (25-38oC); can withstand frost (-10oC)
• Enter winter dormancy, even through several weeks of warm
weather without putting out new shoots or blossoms
• Grow best grafting rootstock of another citrus fruit
Plant uses
• Eaten fresh, preserved, candied, or made into jams and jellies
• Used in many culinary dishes, such as salads, cocktails, and desserts
• Cantonese preserve in salt to create a remedy for sore throats
• In Vietnam, kumquat bonsai trees are a staple as an ornamental
tree
• Celebrated in the US with the Kumquat Festival in Dade City, FL
Interesting Facts
• Symbolizes good luck in China and other Asian countries; given as
gift during the Lunar New Year
• Many hybrids are created using kumquats
• Have a caloric equivalent to grapes (100g of fresh fruit = 71 calories)
Sources
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumquat
• http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/kumquat-fruit.html
• http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kumquat