Fruit of the Week: KumquatSize: a little over and inch (top to bottom) and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce...just bigger than a quarter.
History: Obviously from the citrus family....originated in China, and grows on trees.
Taste: you pop the entire thing in your mouth (including the rind) and bite down. It's very very sour in the beginning, and then the sweetness comes toward the end.
My Experience: all I knew of a Kumquat is that it's the size of your baby when it's only 10 weeks old. so when a customer offered to share her sack with me I accepted. I was kind of 'peer pressured' into tasting it, but in the end glad I tried it. Only made me gag once (which isn't hard for me to do)....the rind kind of got to me.
After spending a month working in a natural foods store I have seen, touched, and even tasted so many new foods.....especially ones that come from the produce section. I continually ask the customers "what is this?" so I can get the right codes and proceed with their check out. So many people, or I should say weird-o's, have been disgusted by my lack of "produce knowledge" and I catch them rolling their eyes at me because I don't know that their sack is full of 'Longons'. (Don't people just buy carrots, apples, tomatoes, oranges and lettuce anymore?) So I have committed to learning (and trying) all the different produce we sell--which is a wide variety....and want to share with you.
ps. I would take my own photos of them, but all the other employees already think I'm weird enough, (I mean, for heaven's sakes....I don't drink coffee and I'm not having a home birth???) so seeing me over in the produce taking photos of all the food just might bring up too many questions.
14 comments:
I don't know why but this whole post just made me keep laughing! I still am! Maybe it's because we lived in Vermont for five years (it's just dripping with hippies, fyi) so I can totally sympathize! Oh, and not many Mormons at all, so I double sympathize. On a side note, remember Danielle Clark? Her dad owned a big produce distribution company and he also taught Sunday School when I was around 14 and he always brought interesting fruits and somehow tied them in to the lessons. He introduced us to kumquats, among other weird and exotic fruits. Tragically, I don't recall what the lesson was about.
I love the informative post- keep 'em coming! i'd love to keep learning about all the different fruits and veggies... and which ones are worth trying. do you ever feel like you work in a store that belongs on Diagon Alley or in Hogsmeade? if j.k. rowling was hawaiian, i'm sure "longons" would have made the book.
I sure didn't know you ate the rind too. That sounds gross. I am so impressed at how adventurous you are! I hope you have more tasty treats than the not so tasty ones.
So informative you are! I really have not tried them and I loved all your descriptors. I am so excited to see what is next.
I say go right ahead take pics of the food and the people, c'mon, who doesn't like to have their picture taken. ;)
I just saw a kumquat tree this afternoon - Mmmm, did you know they're my favorite? When I was little, my grandma would always have them at her house and I loved their sweet outsides and sour insides. I would only get to eat them when we'd go visit her each summer. yum.
begleys? I don't even know who that is...it's me!!! weird.
i'm rolling. and i would've for sure gagged too.
I love your blog, it always makes me smile. Good for you for trying new foods. And I always gag when I'm pregnant...just brushing my tounge is a challenge!
These grow like weeds in FL. When I was growing up they were the joke fruit because of the first 3 letters of their name.... I only tried one once because oh man, they are sooooooooo sour! You are brave for eating more than one!
Right when I saw the Kumquat I thought...Hey, that'll be the size of my baby this week and then sure enough that was all you knew of the mysterious fruit as well. I always wondered what you did with those little guys and now I know. I'll have to try one next time I go to our local hippie store.
keep posting new fruits...it fun to learn!! i just buy all the same old thing and the grocery store -- not anything like this thats for sure!! i bet annette delaney knows about this fruit, i will have to ask her! she loves that kinda stuff!! she will also love to hear you are working at her kinda store..we miss you
I still wish you would have gotten the hot dog on a stick job. But this is almost as good for the stories. ps: you aren't having a home birth?! What the...?!! wuss.
"It's always nice to make new friends". This is one of my favorite lines from Enchanted and I was reminded of it when you said "weirdos". Ha!!! I think I tried a Kumquat when we were in hawaii. Fun! I love ya lori! What an experience you'll always remember and tell little baby.
LOVE these!
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