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Calamansi (''Citrus'' × ''microcarpa''), also known as calamondin, Philippine lime, or Philippine lemon, is an economically important citrus
hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
predominantly cultivated in the Philippines. It is native to the Philippines, Borneo,
Sumatra Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
, and
Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
in Indonesia in Southeast Asia, as well as southern China and Taiwan in East Asia. Calamansi is ubiquitous in traditional Filipino cuisine. It is naturally very sour, and is used in various condiments, beverages, dishes, marinades, and preserves. Calamansi is also used as an ingredient in Malaysian and
Indonesian Indonesian is anything of, from, or related to Indonesia, an archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. It may refer to: * Indonesians, citizens of Indonesia ** Native Indonesians, diverse groups of local inhabitants of the archipelago ** Indonesian ...
cuisines. Calamansi is a hybrid between kumquat (formerly considered as belonging to a separate genus ''Fortunella'') and another species of '' Citrus'' (in this case probably the mandarin orange).


Names

Calamansi is the Philippine English spelling of Tagalog ''kalamansi'' (), and is the name by which it is most widely known in the Philippines. In parts of the United States (notably Florida), calamansi is also known as "calamondin", an old name from the American period of the Philippines. It is an anglicized form of the alternate Tagalog name ''kalamunding''. Other English common names of calamansi include: Philippine lime, calamonding, calamondin orange, calamandarin, golden lime, Philippine lemon, Panama orange (also used for kumquats), musk orange, bitter-sweets and acid orange. Calamansi was formerly identified as ''Citrus mitis'' Blanco, ''C. microcarpa'' Bunge or ''C. madurensis'' Lour., all those referred to it as a citrus. Swingle's system of citrus classification would put kumquats into a separate genus, ''Fortunella'', making the calamansi an
intergeneric hybrid In biology, a hybrid is the offspring resulting from combining the qualities of two organisms of different breeds, varieties, species or genera through sexual reproduction. Hybrids are not always intermediates between their parents (such as in ...
, and in 1975 it was given the
hybrid name In botanical nomenclature, a hybrid may be given a hybrid name, which is a special kind of botanical name, but there is no requirement that a hybrid name should be created for plants that are believed to be of hybrid origin. The '' International C ...
× ''Citrofortunella mitis'' by John Ingram and Harold E. Moore based on Blanco's species name, but in 1984, D. Onno Wijnands pointed out that Bunge's species name, ''C. microcarpa'' (1832), predated Blanco's ''Citrus mitis'' (1837), making × ''Citrofortunella microcarpa'' the proper name. Phylogenetic analysis now places the kumquat within the same genus as other citrus, meaning that its hybrids, including those formerly named as × ''Citrofortunella'', likewise belong in ''Citrus''.


Description

Calamansi, ''Citrus x microcarpa'', is a
shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
or small tree growing to . The plant is characterized by wing-like appendages on the leaf petioles and white or purplish flowers. The fruit of the calamansi resembles a small, round lime, usually in diameter, but sometimes up to . The center pulp and juice is the orange color of a tangerine with a very thin orange peel when ripe. Each fruit contains 8 to 12 seeds.


Variegated mutation

There is also a variegated mutation of the regular calamansi, showing green stripes on yellow fruit.


Uses


Culinary arts

The fruits are sour and are often used for preserves or cooking. The calamansi bears a small citrus fruit that is used to flavor foods and drinks. Despite its outer appearance and its aroma, the taste of the fruit itself is quite sour, although the peel is sweet. Calamansi marmalade can be made in the same way as orange marmalade. Like other citrus fruits, the calamansi is high in vitamin C. The fruit can be frozen whole and used as ice cubes in beverages such as tea, soft drinks, water, and cocktails. The juice can be used in place of that of the common
Persian lime Persian lime (''Citrus'' × ''latifolia''), also known by other common names such as seedless lime, Bearss lime and Tahiti lime, is a citrus fruit species of hybrid origin, known only in cultivation. The Persian lime is a triploid cross betwee ...
(also called ''Bearss lime''). The juice is extracted by crushing the whole fruit, and makes a flavorful drink similar to lemonade. A
liqueur A liqueur (; ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond ...
can be made from the whole fruits, in combination with vodka and sugar.


Philippines

In Filipino cuisines, the juice is used to
marinate Marinating is the process of soaking foods in a seasoned, often acidic, liquid before cooking. The origin of the word alludes to the use of brine (''aqua marina'' or sea water) in the pickling process, which led to the technique of adding flavor b ...
and season fish, fowl and pork. It is also used as an ingredient in dishes like '' sinigang'' (a sour meat or seafood broth) and '' kinilaw'' (raw fish marinated in vinegar and/or citrus juices). It is very commonly used as a condiment in dishes like '' pancit'' or '' lugaw'', or in the basic ''
sawsawan The generic term for condiments in the Filipino cuisine is ''sawsawan'' (Philippine Spanish: ''sarsa''). Unlike sauces in other Southeast Asian regions, most ''sawsawan'' are not prepared beforehand, but are assembled on the table according to t ...
'' (dip) of calamansi juice and
soy sauce Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...
/ fish sauce used for fish, spring rolls, dumplings and various savoury dishes. It is also used in various beverages, notably as calamansi juice, a Filipino drink similar to lemonade.


In other regions


Indonesia

The fruit is used in local recipes in northern Indonesia, especially around the North Sulawesi region. Fish are spritzed and marinated with the juice prior to cooking to eliminate the "fishy" smell. ''Kuah asam'' ("sour soup") is a regional clear fish broth made with calamansi juice.


Florida

In Florida, the fruit is used in its fully ripe form with a more mature flavor profile than the unripe version. Tasters note elements of apricot, tangerine, lemon, pineapple, and guava. The peel is so thin that each fruit must be hand snipped from the tree to avoid tearing. The entire fruit minus the stems and seeds can be used. It is hand processed and pureed or juiced and used in various products such as calamondin cake, coulis, marmalade, and jam. The peels can be dehydrated and used as a gourmet flavoring with salt and sugar. The fruit was popular with Florida cooks in cake form from the 1920s to the 1950s. Floridians who have a calamansi in the yard often use the juice in a summer variation of lemonade or limeade, as mentioned above, and, left a bit sour, it cuts thirst with the distinctive flavor; also it can be used on fish and seafood, or wherever any other sour citrus would be used.


Cultivation

The Philippines is the only major producer of calamansi. It is primarily grown for its juice extracts which are exported to the United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Hong Kong, among others. The Philippines exports between 160,000 and 190,000 metric tons of calamansi juice each year. Major production centers include the Southwestern Tagalog Region, Central Luzon, and the Zamboanga Peninsula. Its cultivation has spread from the Philippines throughout Southeast Asia, India, Hawaii, the West Indies, and Central and North America, though only on a small scale.Morton, J. 1987
Calamondin.
p. 176–78. In: Morton, J. ''Fruits of Warm Climates''. Miami, Florida.
In sub-tropical and parts of warm temperate North America, × ''Citrofortunella microcarpa'' is grown primarily as an ornamental plant in gardens, and in
pots Pot may refer to: Containers * Flowerpot, a container in which plants are cultivated * Pottery, ceramic ware made by potters * A type of cookware Places * Ken Jones Aerodrome, IATA airport code POT * Palestinian Occupied Territories, the We ...
and
container garden Container gardening or pot gardening/farming is the practice of growing plants, including edible plants, exclusively in containers instead of planting them in the ground. A container in gardening is a small, enclosed and usually portable object ...
s on terraces and patios. The plant is especially attractive when the fruits are present. The plant is sensitive to prolonged and/or extreme cold and is therefore limited outdoors to tropical, sub-tropical and the warmer parts of warm temperate climates (such as the coastal plain of the southeastern United States (USDA zones 8b - 11), parts of California, southern Arizona, southern Texas, and Hawaii). Potted plants are brought into a
greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...
, conservatory, or indoors as a houseplant during the winter periods in regions with cooler climates. In cultivation within the United Kingdom, this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's
Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...
(confirmed 2017).


See also

*'' Citrus depressa'' (shikwasa, hirami lemon), a similar cultivar widely used in Taiwan and Okinawa, Japan *''
Citrus poonensis Ponkan (); ''Citrus poonensis''; "Chinese Honey Orange") is a high-yield sweet ''Citrus'' cultivar with large fruits in the size of an orange. It is a citrus hybrid (mandarin × pomelo), though it was once thought to be a pure mandarin. Descrip ...
'' (ponkan orange), a similarly sized sweet orange from China


References


External links


Calamondin – The Most Versatile Fruit
at Aggie Horticulture. {{Taxonbar, from=Q849387 Asian cuisine Citrus hybrids Flora of China Flora of Malesia Fruits originating in Asia Garden plants of Asia Ornamental trees Kumquats Fruit trees