Kalamansi

Kalamansi: a passionate palette of tastes

Emblematic of The Philippines, the kalamansi (its original spelling in Tagalog) is a hybrid citrus fruit which probably resulted from crossing mandarin and kumquat plants. This explains its wide palette of tastes at different stages in its ripening process, expressing the different shades of sourness and aromas of lemons and limes, with the gentle bitterness of grapefruits and pomelos, making into a sort of 4-in-1 fruit! This very rich palette, often compared to the Japanese sudachi and kabosu, offers an endless number of culinary possibilities, both savory and sweet. For example, in The Philippines, the kalamansi is used as a marinade or in a sauce mixed with soy. It is also widely used in Malaysian and Indonesian cooking. In contemporary cuisine, it is increasingly being used to enhance the taste of fish and white meat and, of course, with other tropical fruits. Barmen and mixologists use it as well, in margaritas and other exotic cocktails.