Calamondin
Is it lime, lemon or orange?
by Lita A. Martija

Some people can't quite put a finger on what to make of the calamondin tree, or how to use its fruit---it doesn't look quite like a lime, not quite a true lemon, and it certainly does not taste like an orange. As a matter of fact, one bite of this fruit can pucker your mouth and curl your tongue. The small seedy fruit, with thin yellowish-green rind and soft, juicy flesh, is verrrry sour! If picked too soon, it is bitter! So, some people make it an ornamental plant. It's dwarf, bushy, and a prolific fruit-bearing tree that is cold-tolerant and very attractive in the home landscape. But is that all there is to calamondins? Horticulturists say calamondin is an acid citrus---a grouping that includes lemons, limes and other fruits, such as limequats and kumquats. It is native to the Philippines, with a scientific name, "citrofortunella mitis." A man named Loureiro, however, who had seen this unusual fruit earlier in the island of Madura near Java, had already named it "citrus madurensis loureiro." In 1899, a man named Lathrop introduced this unusual fruit to Floridians as "acid orange." But Fairchild, who came from Panama, introduced it as "Panama orange." The fruit had come to Panama from Chile, and to Chile from China where it has long been cultivated as an ornamental plant and as a stock for mandarin oranges. The calamondin fruit, about 30 mm in diameter, has the appearance of a small tangerine. Cross-breeders think there is a possibility that the calamondin is a hybrid of lime and mandarin, or lime and kumquat, or kumquat and mandarin. This was, of course, dismissed as very speculative. There are two other citrus fruits called limes---the sweet lime and the Rangpur lime. Just like the calamondin, none of these is a true lime or of any commercial importance. The sweet lime, also called sweet lemon, is widely but not commercially grown around the shores of the Mediterranean, and used as a stock for oranges in Brazil and Israel. It is, however, intolerant to xyloporosis which is a viral disease. This is why it is rarely, if at all, found in the United States. The Palestine sweet lime is common in India. The Rangpur lime and its near relative, the Kusaie lime, are considered lemon subspecies. However, they are called limes in the US and used like true limes and calamondins. They have thin rinds easily separated from the soft juicy flesh and are believed to be hybrids of mandarin with lime or lemon. Rangpur is being considered as a stock species for possible commercial use. Kusaie lime is cultivated in Hawaii. The true lime is a small, thin-skinned, very acid fruit native to Malaysia. Limes are the most sensitive to cold. These trees are found in eastern India and wild in northern Malaysia. Most of the limes grown in the world are of the common true lime-type. Florida produces about 95% of limes grown in this country. The "kalamansi", also known as "musk lime", is a subspecies and a close relative of the calamondin. Its fruit is round, also about 30mm in diameter, and has "warts" on its otherwise smooth skin. The flesh is orange and the fruit has a distinct musky smell. It is favored in South East Asian cooking as a garnish and to prepare drinks. Its fruit is best used when mature and still green; it is past its best when fully ripe and when the fruit is yellow. There are many other types of acid citrus. The genus Citrus has up to several hundred species making it difficult to positively identify some fruits or trees. It is made harder still because breeders are continuously experimenting on hybrid crosses within the genus. Many are now regarded as subspecies or cross-breeds. The tangelo, for example, is a cross between a grapefruit and a mandarin. Citrangedins is another example of a complex hybrid created by crossing citrange and calamondin. Citranges are crosses between P. Trifoliate and citrus sinensis to combine the cold hardiness of trifoliate orange with the delectable taste of sweet orange. Almost always, cross-breeding improves the stock. How does one use this highly acidic Calamondin? Calamondin is a dual-purpose tree. Besides its ornamental value, it has very useful fruit. Asians, especially, have special uses for it. The juice, with high Vitamin C content, can be used like lemon and lime to make refreshing beverages, to flavor fish, to garnish noodle dishes, to make cakes, marmalades, pies, preserves and sauces, and to use in soups and teas. The flavor is very distinctive. Use it where you would ordinarily use lemon or lime. The juice may be frozen in ice-cube trays and stored in plastic bags in the freezer, then use them a few cubes at a time to make lemonade---except you don't use lemon. There are many other uses for the calamondin fruit and your creativity can only be limited by your own imagination. Asians even use them in the wash bowls when washing their hands. So, if you eat in an oriental restaurant and they serve you a bowl of warm water with a slice of calamondin floating on top, don't make tea, wash your fingers in it. All lemons and limes, including calamondins, make excellent hair conditioners. Pour one liter of boiling water over thinly sliced fruit. Let it seep. When the water is cool, pour through the hair as a final rinse. Where can you get this fruit? Calamondin is not sold in stores but most oriental groceries carry the fruits. Asians grow the trees in their backyards for continuous supply. Grown indoor as a container plant, calamondin survives outdoors if cultivated in subtropical areas. It is cold-hardy than most true citrus species and has adapted to the subtropical parts of Florida and California. Some nurseries are selling the plants. So, if you're one of those who can't still quite make out how to use this fruit, start by using a squirt of it on your tea, or go for it and try this calamondin cake recipe.

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