Kishu Mandarin

 [Citrus #2 -- Originally tried on March 10, 2020] 

A small seedless mandarin orange that I had never tried, or heard of before. While at Safeway, my second stop on my citrus gathering expedition, I found these in a small clamshell box and decided to give it a go. I cut one in half to see the interior, then licked just a drop of juice from the edge. That single drop was ecstasy.

The Kishu is a very small, very sweet citrus.

 I have seldom had any citrus so sweet in my travels so far (formally, this is a new project, but I have tried many types before deciding to formalize it.) It tastes just like those Mandarin-orange sodas in flavor and sweetness, easily putting clemantines to shame in most regards. About an inch wide give or take, they are easy to peel and adorable. It's almost like a scale model of an orange: like a tiny clementine, with tiny segments the size of my thumbnail. These may not last long in my house….

 

Rarity: 3/5

Flavor: 5/5

Sweetness: 5/5

Ease of Peeling: 5/5

Recommend: Y

Kumquat

 [Citrus #1 -- Originally tried on March 10, 2020] 

The kumquat is a small Citrus fruit. Oval, about 1" by .75". It has the appearance of

a small orange. It is unique in that it has an edible rind. You pop the whole thing in your mouth, like a grape.

Another thing that is unique, is that the peel is actually sweeter than the flesh which is very tart. Eaten as one, the two balance each other out, creating a tart but palatable experience. The taste is comparable to a sour orange. 

While Kumquats are normally eaten whole,
I thought a cross-section would be relevant

Like most citrus, the  rind is oily and when eaten whole, this rind adds an oily texture and a mild fishlike taste on top of the sweetness. Despite my descriptions here, I find it pleasant, and do recommend it. Eating them however leaves a  tingling in the mouth that sends one running for a glass of water…hold on! So perhaps something to note, but delicious nonetheless!

 

Rarity: 2/5

Flavor: 4/5

Sweetness: 3/5

Ease of Peeling: N/A

Recommend: Y

I'm back! Time for some reflections.

    I've decided to restart this blog. It's been almost a year, and the project has absolutely not fizzled out--not at all. On the contrary--by now I am up to 30+ varieties...and counting. I have told many people about this project and many seem interested, so I figured I would publish this, and we can go from there.

 So...I'm back, and here I intend to chronicle my citrus quest. Summer is coming, we'll see how that changes the availability of citrus fruits. Some hobbies last a few weeks, this one seems to last longer. Whats nice about the Citrus Quest is that they seem to appear in waves, about three or four at a time. So there are enough to keep this interesting, but few enough to keep it from getting overwhelming.

What has really struck me is where the exotic varieties are found. You might expect them to be found at supermarkets catering to exotic cuisines. And indeed, there is an Asian market in Beaverton that has provided me with many varieties. However just as many have come from the slightly higher-end supermarkets--Safeway, Albertons, stores in that vein. Not where you expect to find fruits that, thirty minutes prior, you hadn't realized existed. The whole-foods-style supermarket is also incredibly rich in unusual citrus. So if you decide to join me, but don't have an asian market nearby...you may not need one.

My first citrus haul from march. 
This batch came from a local
mainly-organic supermarket

Anyway,  as long as supermarket produce sections keep providing me with citrus types I have not tried (or at times, even heard of) this project will continue. Here's to a healthy 2021. God bless and...

Cheers!

This is S.K., creator of the Kramer Paper. That is a newsletter, but this project is a little different.

I intend to write more here, but I want to make sure that the first space is reserved for an introductory piece. Now, I want to post my quest so far. What I have tried, what I thought of it, and whether I recommend it...

This may be short lived, it may be lifelong. Right now, its too early to tell, but I have bought $30 worth of fruit so God willing I will not let any of it go to waste.

Over the course of two days, shopping at five grocery storesI was able to find 19 varieties of citrus:

Mellowgold Grapefruit
Normal Grapefruit
Meyer Lemon
Minneola Tangelo
Seedless Mandarin
Sumo
Shiranui Mandarin
Shasta Mandarin
Heirloom Navel
Kumquat
Kishu Mandarin
Orri Mandarin
Honey Tangerine
Blood Orange
CaraCara
Godl Nugget Mandarin
Mandarinquat
Nurcot Tangerine
Navel Orange
Grapefruit

I expect this list will grow as I go along, but hopefull ynot too fast... the box in my kitchen is full.

Am I nuts for doing this? Probably. But there are worse ways to burn $30, no?

God bless!
-SK