On Mon, 7 May 2012 15:32:43 +0100 (BST), wrote:

In article ,
Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:

Probably Kumquats. Don't expect them to taste like oranges. They are
very soar unless eaten whole. Their skins and rind are the sweet bits
just to confuse orange eaters! I've never been able to grow kumquats
so I depend on my greengrocer.

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.

The ones I had from the greengrocer had sweet skins and pith. The
flesh was very sour.

That is a most unusual kumquat - indeed, it's a most unusual
citrus! There may well be a variety like that but, generally,
they are as I said. If you come across them again, I should be
interested to know the variety.


I've no idea of the variety and they are not currently available. I do
not think they are anything unusual. The description I find agrees
with my taste:-

"Kumquats are often eaten raw. As the rind is sweet and the juicy
centre is sour, the raw fruit is usually consumed either whole—to
savour the contrast—or only the rind is eaten."

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

I know the difference very well. Lemons are sour, Angostura and some
beers are bitter. Even when mixed together I can taste the two
flavours.

Lemon juice is sour; the rind and pith are bitter. I have never
cross a citrus where the rind and pith were not bitter, though
it is probably obtrusive only to sensitive people in some of the
'tangerine-like' varieties.

Kumquat rind definitely isn't bitter, it's a bit sweet. So is the
skin.

Lemon rind isn't bitter either. It has an interesting taste that I
can't name but it isn't bitter.

Orange and Tangerine rind is bitter. Lime and Grapefruit rind is less
biter - almost tasteless. I didn't like Citron fruit and never even
tried the pith.

Perhaps we have significantly different varieties of taste buds.

Steve

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