APPEARANCE Rating: 
Cute little orange skinned fruit slightly bigger than the diameter of a quarter with bright orange flesh.
AROMA Rating:
Gorgeous and very aromatic, complicated citrus fragrance.
TEXTURE Rating:
Peel is thin, tender and eatable while the inside flesh is juicy, juicy, juicy with minimal seeds.
TASTE Rating:
The peel has a very grown up sweetness to it while the inside is like a sour orange.
OVERALL Overall Rating: 
Biting in to this lime is so complicated it is ridiculous. It’s like a cross between a lemon, a tangerine, a kumquat, a hand grenade and a water fight. First of all it claims to be a lime but it looks like an orange – my brain does not compute this and is confused even as I bring it to my mouth. Second of all you can eat the peel, which is contrary to everything I generally believe about items that look like an orange (or a lime for that matter). When you bite into it you taste this very pleasing and complex sweetness followed extremely closely by a jarring sour juicy explosion. So you can see why I ran directly to the fridge and made a gin and juice. It was an emergency! I’m not saying this has anything to do with the urgent beverage situation, but I am smitten with this little citrus. Not exactly a snacker, but just so darned fun.
FRUIT
Calamansi Lime
VARIETY
Unknown
PEAK
Fall
ORIGIN
China but extremely common in the Philippines
GROWN
Farmer Steve Inc.
Ramona, CA
PURCHASED
Farmer’s Maket
NOTES
Also called kalamansi lime, musk lime, golden lime, scarlet lime, calamondin orange, china orange, and panama orange. The skin color can be either orange or green.
Delicious – they figure into some Philippine dishes that are beyond my abilities, but try them in (1) salsa, (b) marmalade, or (3) pie – find a good lemon pie recipe, and use calamansi instead.
oh yes – I think calamansi bars (reminiscent of lemon bars) would be luscious. Someone should make that for me.
Thank you for explaining these! I just bought some Kalamansi/honey syrup on a whim from the local Thai/Viet grocery. I am putting it on nearly everything, I LOVE IT! Never dreamt it looked like THIS w/ a taste like THAT. That would definitely be trippy to eat one, w/ your brain focussing on the “orange” image!
PS I hate watermelon, too. My friends look at me like I’m a Commie, but that mealy texture/seeds/lack o’ flavor always put me off!
Hahaha Mimi! YES! Exactly.
My grandmother had one of these trees in her back yeard in San Pedro, CA. I had forgotten all about them until a member brought a bowl of them to my local Y. I like them every bit as much today as I did 60 years ago.
Thinly slice these and candy them as you would ginger. Fantastic!
Sun Tropics of San Ramon California (Bay Area) makes a Calamansi Lime Aide. I love lime aide, almost any. I have a lime tree (and 2 lemon trees including a Meyers) and and an orange in my yard so I’m definitely into citrus. I bought this product expecting a ‘lime’ drink and when I tasked it, the taste blew me away. The juice of orangey but it doesn’t taste like an orange. Nor does it taste anything like a lime. The juice is made from fresh squeezed limes (so it has a shelf life). It has real sugar and filtered water. No preservatives. It’s absolutely delicious. I drank a half gallon in an afternoon and wished I had some good gin! Yea, PERFECT gin mixer! Not sure this juice would be available outside the regions growing the fruit since it is just juice, sugar, and water. If you can get it try it. I’m going to look for the fruit. Eating the rind? What a trip. I can’t wait!
Discovered these recently when a coworker from the Philippines gave some to my wife. Have been eating them ever since. Love the sweet after that sour bite. Use them for any lemon/lime application, but flavor is way more complex. Those that survive the way in from the car are great as a squeezed splash over pancit,pad thai, etc. I’m hooked.
Make a hot tea with the juice, hot water, sugar, and some gin (if you want) to treat a sore throat. Best cold/flu medicine ever!
Ohhh- That tea sounds amazing – whether I have a cold or not!
Even though the edible peel is sweetest when orange, the most juice is produced when the fruit is still green. Combine the two for a satisfying drink or marinade?
When I lived in the Philippines I fell in love with these little green limes! They are the perfect size to squeeze over food dishes, mixed drinks, and iced tea!