March 16, 2006

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Pocket Citrus "You'll find that one part's sweet and one part's tart: say where the sweetness or the sourness start." Tony Harrison, 'A Kumquat for John Keats, 1981 Saturday I fought the elements (hail, downpour, sideway's rain, cold wind) working at the market. Everything's a bit out of order as the wet winter weather is holding on longer than usual. One of the items that I was helping Will to sell were kumquats. And surprisingly, many San Franciscans had never tried one before. I found endless entertainment in daring people into trying these little berry shaped citrus fruits. Inevitably, after trying one they would end up buying a handful or two. Native to Asia, the kumquat is said to take its name from the Chinese, chin kan, or golden orange. Although these citrus orbs are closely related to citrus species, kumquats belong to the genus Fortunella after a plant collector for the London Horticultural Society, Robert Fortune introduced them from Asia to Europe in 1846. Years later the small trees could be found presented to dinner guests in order that they could pick their dessert. In contrast to citrus which has 8-15 sections, kumquats have only 3-6 sections; also the skin is thin, soft and edible. The fruit grows on an evergreen shrub or small tree with bright green pointed leaves and orange perfumed blossoms. While there are four different kinds of kumquats, the one you see most often is the olive-shaped Nagami; it's usually 1 to 2 inches long. This varitety...

jeannebee

what happens to the hole when the donut is gone?

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