Limequat

January 19th, 2010 | Fruit Maven

If you like to leap before you look, then this is the fruit for you!

APPEARANCE

Petite (diameter of a quarter); pale yellow skin and flesh with the slightest green tint; lots of seeds.

AROMA

Bright, fresh, lime. Nice and not overwhelming.

TEXTURE

Thin, giving but firm skin (edible), with soft, juicy flesh.

TASTE

Crazy sour and extremely astringent. The peel has a nice candied lime taste, but it is overwhelmed by even the smallest amount of juice.

OVERALL

I hate to be harsh toward any fruit, particularly one that is so divine in a cocktail, but this limequat punched me in the face when we first met and I just can’t get over it. I’m not saying it wasn’t my fault, because it totally was. Being the fruit expert, or maven, that I am, I heard the word “limequat” and saw that it was the same size as a kumquat and got extremely cocky about my assumptions of the flavor. I picked these babies up from Specialty Produce (who got them just for me, by the way – walla walla!) and was so excited that when I got to the car and was driving away, I reached into the bag and took a hearty bite right through the skin and into the flesh. Oh my heavens, was I then punished for my confidence. It was the most astringent thing I have ever tasted in my life. It burned my throat to the point that I literally coughed for the next 10 minutes, while my red eyes just dripped with tears. I wanted so badly to laugh at myself, but the convulsions and the fact that I was simultaneously driving 65 mph (precisely the speed limit of course) required that I focus and just try not to hit anyone. Lesson learned: Limequats can be devious.