Kumquat fruit nutrition facts
Wonderfully sweet and tangy kumquat fruit or cumquat (as the
fruit generally recognized in Europe) is a
winter/spring season delicacy. Although kumquats taste like citrus
fruits, they are distinguished from them in a way that they
can be eaten as a whole with the peel.
Botanically they belonged to the Rutaceae family; of
the genus, Fortunella,
named after botanist Robert fortune who brought them from China to
Europe in the middle of the 19th century.
|
 |
Nagami kumquat fruit (Fortunella margarita).
Note
for oval shaped ripe fruit with smooth shiny surface.
Photo courtesy: jskrybe
|
Delicious kumquats!
Photo courtesy: stevendamron |
Kumquats are a small sized evergreen tree native
to Southeastern parts of mountainous China. They now have grown for
their delicious fruits and as ornament tree in many parts of the world
including USA. A mature kumquat tree bears several hundred olive sized
brilliant orange color fruits in winter. On the Interior, the fruit
resembles tiny orange with juicy segments firmly adherent each other
and with the rind. The pulp has 1-2 seeds placed centrally. The seeds
are bitter in taste as in oranges and generally spit out.
There exist several varieties of kumquat; however,
some 4 cultivars are grown widely for their fruits.
-
Nagami
kumquat (Fortunella margarita): The
fruit
is oval and is the most common varieties grown in USA. The
fruit features smooth light yellow rind tarty flavor.
-
Marumi
kumquat (Fortunella japonica): The
fruit
is round and has distinctive sweet flavor.
-
Meiwa
kumquat (Fortunella crassifolia): It is
round in shape and larger than other verities. It is popular in
Japan as ninpo
or neiha kinkan.
-
Hong
Kong Wild (Fortunella hindsii).
Health
benefits of kumquat fruit
-
Like citrus fruits, kumquats also
low in calories. 100 g of fresh
fruit
provide only 71 calories. Nevertheless, they are incredibly rich
sources of
health
benefiting dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and pigment
anti-oxidants
that contribute immensely to our health and wellness.
-
Kumquats are eaten along with the peel, a
unique
feature that differentiates them from other citrus family fruits. The
peel is rich in many essential oils, anti-oxidants, and fiber.
100 g whole kumquats provide 6.7 g or 17% of daily-recommended levels
of fiber composed of tannins, pectin, hemi-cellulose, and other
non-starch polysaccharides (NSP).
-
Fresh kumquats are packed with numerous health
benefiting poly-phenolic flavonoid
anti-oxidants such as carotenes,
lutein,zeaxanthin, tannins...etc. The kumquat peels is
composed many important essential
oils in it including limonene,
pinene, α-bergamotene, caryophyllene, α-humulene, and α-muurolene.
Together these compounds impart special citrus aroma to the fruit.
-
Further, fresh fruits contain
adequate
levels of some of anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin A, C and E.
Altogether these phyto-chemical compounds in kumquat fruit helps
scavenge harmful oxygen derived free radicals from
the
body and thereby protect us from cancers, diabetes, degenerative
diseases and infections.
-
Like oranges, kumquats also very rich in
vitamin C.
100 g fruit provides 47.9 or 73% of RDA (Recommended daily
allowances).
Vitamin-C is one of powerful
natural anti-oxidant which has many essential biological roles like
collagen
synthesis and wound healing; anti-viral and anti-cancer activity; and
helps
prevent from neuro-degenerative diseases, arthritis, diabetes...etc by
removing oxidant free-radicals from the body.
Furthermore, vitamin C felicitates iron absorption in the food
by reducing it from ferrous to ferric form in the stomach.
-
Cumquats contain good
levels of
B-complex
group of vitamins such as thiamin, niacin, pyridoxine, folates and
pantothenic
acid. These vitamins function as co-factors for metabolism of
carbohydrates, proteins, and
fats.
-
In addition, they are modest sources
minerals like calcium,
copper, potassium, manganese, iron,
selenium and zinc. 100 g of dried figs contain 640 mg of potassium, 162
mg of calcium, and 2.03 mg of iron. Potassium
is an important component of cell and body fluids
that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure. Copper is required
in the production of red
blood cells.
Iron is required for red blood cell formation as well for cellular
oxidation.
See the table below for in depth analysis
of nutrients:
Kumquat fruit (Fortunella
species),
Nutrition Value per 100 g.
(Source: USDA National
Nutrient data base)
| Principle |
Nutrient Value |
Percentage of
RDA |
| Energy |
71 Kcal |
3.5% |
| Carbohydrates |
15.90 g |
12% |
| Protein |
1.88 g |
3% |
| Total Fat |
0.86 g |
4% |
| Cholesterol |
0 mg |
0% |
| Dietary Fiber |
6.5 g |
17% |
| Vitamins |
|
|
| Folates |
17 µg |
4% |
| Niacin |
0.429 mg |
2.5% |
| Pantothenic
acid |
0.208 mg |
4% |
| Pyridoxine |
0.036 mg |
3% |
| Riboflavin |
0.090 mg |
7% |
| Thiamin |
0.037 mg |
3% |
| Vitamin A |
290 IU |
10% |
| Vitamin C |
43.9 mg |
73% |
| Vitamin E |
0.15 mg |
1% |
| Vitamin K |
0 µg |
0% |
| Electrolytes |
|
|
| Sodium |
10 mg |
0.5% |
| Potassium |
186 mg |
4% |
| Minerals |
|
|
| Calcium |
62 mg |
6% |
| Copper |
0.095 mg |
10% |
| Iron |
0.86 mg |
11% |
| Magnesium |
20 mg |
5% |
| Manganese |
0.135
mg |
6% |
| Selenium |
0.0 mcg |
0% |
| Zinc |
0.17
mg |
1% |
| Phyto-nutrients |
|
|
| Carotene-ß |
0 µg |
-- |
| Carotene-α |
155 µg |
-- |
| Cryptoxanthin-ß |
193 µg |
-- |
| Lutein-zeaxanthin |
129 µg |
-- |
Selection
and storage
Kumquats are
best available from November through June. 'Nagami' and the ‘Meiwa’ are
the two most common verities of kumquats grown in the United States.
Nagami kumquats are grown in much large scale in Saint Joseph, Florida
which earned its city as kumquat capital of Florida.
While buying
select kumquat fruit that is firm, smooth, brilliant orange color and
preferably picked with leaves. Avoid unripe, green color fruits and
those with surface cuts, bruise, or damaged fruits.
Kumquat fruits
have
very good keeping quality. They can be stored in the room temperature
for about 3-4 days and inside the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Frozen kumquat puree can be stored for six months or more.
Preparation
and serving tips
 |
Kumquat
cut sections with banana fruit.
Photo courtesy: jlastras |
|
Kumquat fruit as a garnish!
Photo courtesy: erinmchardy
|
 |
Candied
kumquats!
Photo courtesy: mariko |
Kumquats must
be
allowed to ripen fully on
the tree before they are picked. They can be enjoyed fresh,
added
in salads, candied, and as a garnish.
Wash fresh
fruits in cool water as you wash olives. Gently pat dry using soft
cloth/tissue.
Kumquats taste
best if they are gently rolled or squeezed between the fingers before
being eaten, as this unifies the ingredients in the thin rind and tart
pulp. Eat kumquats as you would eat grapes
or olives with the peel.
Here are some serving tips:
-
Add fresh kumquat slices to fruit salads or
fruit bowls.
-
Kumquats are very attractive and used as a
garnish on a platter.
-
Kumquats make excellent marmalade, preserves
and for candying. This is because unlike other citrus fruits like
Seville orange, which are quite bitter in taste, kumquats rind is very
sweet and desired.
-
In addition, pureed kumquats are very much
preferred in the making of sauce, fruit concentrates, jams and jellies.
-
They are also used in the preparation of
juice, cakes, pie, ice creams…etc.
-
Ripe kumquat fruit is also used as marinade
and as a garnish in poultry, lamb, and sea-foods.
Safety
profile
Like any other Rutaceae (citrus) category fruits,
kumquat fruit can be used safely even in pregnant, nursing as well as
in children. (Medical
disclaimer)
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