In article ,
Chris Hogg wrote:

Kumquats are rarely eaten raw, but candied or otherwise used in
cooking. As with most citrus, the skin and pith are bitter,
though no more so than many oranges.

Note that bitterness and sourness are not the same taste, though
many people taste them as the same.

Hmm......but see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumquat where it says in
several places that the rind is sweet and the juicy centre is sour, in
contrast to most citrus fruits, and that it's usual just to eat the
rind and throw away the centre.

Hmm. I smell a persimmon factor here :-) Many years ago, those
had to be bletted before they became edible, or they were uneatably
acrid. The Israelis then developed a form without the gene for
that acridity, called them Sharon fruit, and you won't be able to
get any of the original type this side of the pond! Someone
could well have done that to kumquats - I will buy some and see.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.