Useful and medicinal properties of kinkana or kumquat

Kumquat in Chinese means "golden orange".This fruit bears the species name Fortunella, and refers to the family of the Citrus family known to us.

In the genus Fortunella, 2 subgenus and 4 species are distinguished. We sell more often the fruits of the species Fortunella margarita( synonym of Citrus margarita).It is cultivated in China and Japan - sometimes Kinkan is also called Japanese orange. The native land of the plant is Southeast Asia, in particular, South-East China( Guangzhou).However, in the wild it is practically not found here today, but cultural forms are widely known. In Europe, this type of citrus fruit has not yet received much distribution.

The first descriptions of kinkan are found in the works of ancient Chinese authors. This plant is also mentioned in European treatises( for the first time in 1646).The first scientific botanical description kinkana in 1912 made Algerian botanist Trabju. This evergreen miniature branchy tree with ovoid or oval fruits of a golden yellow, orange or fiery orange color. The fruits are rather small - 3-5 cm long and 2-4 cm in diameter. The rind of the fruit is smooth, fragrant, tastes sweetish-spicy. The pulp is juicy, with fresh, sourish and slightly tart taste. In the fetus, usually 4-7 lobules, 2-5 seeds. Ripens in February-March. Quite winter-hardy type of citrus, well winter, for example, in Sochi, where winters are sometimes quite cold.

Among the citrus fruits are many natural and artificially derived hybrid forms. Kin-kan, or kumquat, is a wonderful illustration of this property of sunny fruits. For example, Kalamondin is a hybrid of mandarin with kumquat( originated spontaneously in China).Lime-kvat is a hybrid combination of lime and kumquat, orange kvat-mandarin and kumquat, citrum-kvat-hybrid trifoliate( three-leafed lemon) and kumquat of Japanese, tsitranzhkvat appeared as a result of the crossing of trifoliate, orange and kumquat, etc., etc.

Appearance and taste of fruit-hybrids can be very different. In Kalamondina, for example, the fruits are rounded-dented, with a thin skin, when ripe lagging behind the pulp, and very acidic juice.

Eat fresh kinkan - fruits together with skin. Thanks to a pleasant taste combination of rind and pulp, kinkan is often used for making candied fruits, also making compotes and jams out of fruits. Used in cocktails, getting orange flavor. Add kinkan in fruit salads, prepare with it a variety of desserts.