Calamansi

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File:Citrus madurensis Blanco1.185-cropped.jpg, from Flora de Filipinas (1837)]]

File:Calamondin Orange.JPG

Calamansi is the Philippine English spelling of Tagalog {{lang|tl|kalamansi}} ({{IPA|tl|kɐlɐmɐnˈsɪʔ|}}), and is the name by which it is most widely known in the Philippines. In parts of the United States, notably Florida and Hawaii, calamansi is also known as "calamondin", an old name from the American period of the Philippines. It is an anglicized form of the alternate Tagalog name kalamunding.{{cite web |title=Calamondin |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/calamondin |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181111215335/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/calamondin |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 November 2018 |website=Oxford Dictionaries |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=11 November 2018}}

Other English common names of calamansi include: lemonsito (or limoncito), Philippine lime, calamonding, calamondin orange, calamandarin, golden lime, Philippine lemon, Panama orange (also used for kumquats), musk orange, bitter-sweets and acid orange.(07-10-2008). [https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxonomydetail.aspx?313479 "×Citrofortunella microcarpa (Alexander Bunge) Wijnands"]. U.S. National Plant Germplasm System. Accessed on 12-09-2017.

File:Bigaradier panaché.jpg

Calamansi was formerly identified as Citrus mitis Blanco, C. microcarpa Bunge or C. madurensis Lour. All those referred to it as a citrus. Swingle's system of citrus classification put kumquats into a separate genus, Fortunella, making the calamansi an intergeneric hybrid in that older system. In 1975 it was therefore given the hybrid name × Citrofortunella mitis by John Ingram and Harold E. Moore based on Blanco's species name.{{cite journal| last1=Ingram | first1=J. | last2=Moore | first2= H. e. | title=Rutaceae | journal = Baileya | volume=19 | year=1976 | pages=169–171}} In 1984, D. Onno Wijnands pointed out that Bunge's species name, C. microcarpa (1832), predated Blanco's Citrus mitis (1837), making × Citrofortunella microcarpa the proper name.{{cite journal | last=Wijnands | first=D. Onno | title=Nomenclatural Note on the Calamondin [Rutaceae] | journal=Baileya | volume=2 | pages=134–136 | year=1984}} Phylogenetic analysis now places the kumquat within the same genus as other citrus, meaning that its hybrids with other Citrus, including those formerly named as × Citrofortunella, likewise belong in Citrus.{{cite journal | last=Mabberley | author-link=David Mabberley | first= D. J. | journal=Blumea | volume=49 | pages=481–498 | year=2004 | title=Citrus (Rutaceae): A Review of Recent Advances in Etymology, Systematics and Medical Applications | issue= 2 | doi= 10.3767/000651904X484432 | url=http://repository.naturalis.nl/document/565086}}

Citrus × depressa (shikwasa), a similar citrus native to Taiwan and Okinawa, is sometimes called "calamansi" in English.https://sakura.co/blog/5-reasons-to-try-shikuwasa-citrus-okinawas-unique-fruit

Calamansi, Citrus x microcarpa, is a shrub or small tree growing to {{convert|3|-|6|m|ft|0|abbr=on}}. The plant is characterized by wing-like appendages on the leaf petioles and white or purplish flowers. The fruit of the calamansi resembles a small, round lime, usually {{convert|25-35|mm|in|frac=8|abbr=on}} in diameter, but sometimes up to {{convert|45|mm|in|frac=8|abbr=on}}. The center pulp and juice is the orange color of a tangerine with a very thin orange peel when ripe. Each fruit contains 8 to 12 seeds.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

There is also a variegated mutation of the regular calamansi, showing green stripes on yellow fruit.{{cite web|url=http://www.citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/variegated_calamondin.html|title=Variegated calamondin|work=ucr.edu|access-date=15 December 2014|archive-date=29 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200729155900/https://citrusvariety.ucr.edu/citrus/variegated_calamondin.html|url-status=dead}}

File:Siomai.jpg, vinegar, and/or labuyo chili as part of the most ubiquitous dipping sauce in Filipino cuisine, like in siomai]]{{Cookbook}}

The fruits are sour and are often used for preserves or cooking. The calamansi bears a small citrus fruit that is used to flavor foods and drinks. Despite its outer appearance and its aroma, the taste of the fruit itself is quite sour, although the peel is sweet. Calamansi marmalade can be made in the same way as orange marmalade. The fruit is a source of vitamin C.

The fruit can be frozen whole and used as ice cubes in beverages such as tea, soft drinks, water, and cocktails. The juice can be used in place of that of the common Persian lime (also called Bearss lime).{{cite book|author=Susanna Lyle|title=Fruit & nuts: a comprehensive guide to the cultivation, uses and health benefits of over 300 food-producing plants|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NLEQAQAAMAAJ|access-date=11 June 2012|date=20 March 2006|publisher=Timber Press|isbn=9780881927597}} The juice is extracted by crushing the whole fruit, and makes a flavorful drink similar to lemonade. A liqueur can be made from the whole fruits, in combination with vodka and sugar.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

File:Calamansi juice (Filipino lemonade).jpg from the Philippines]]

File:Marison's Sotanghon Guisado.jpg from the Philippines served with calamansi]]

In Filipino cuisines, the juice is used to marinate and season fish, fowl and pork. It is also used as an ingredient in dishes like sinigang (a sour meat or seafood broth) and kinilaw (raw fish marinated in vinegar and/or citrus juices). It is very commonly used as a condiment in dishes like lugaw (rice porridge), or in the basic sawsawan (dip) of calamansi juice, soy sauce ("toyomansi") and fish sauce ("patismansi"), used for fish, spring rolls, dumplings and various savoury dishes. It is used in various beverages, notably as calamansi juice, a Filipino drink similar to lemonade.{{Cite journal |last1=Penniston |first1=Kristina L. |last2=Nakada |first2=Stephen Y. |last3=Holmes |first3=Ross P. |last4=Assimos |first4=Dean G. |date=March 2008 |title=Quantitative Assessment of Citric Acid in Lemon Juice, Lime Juice, and Commercially-Available Fruit Juice Products |journal=Journal of Endourology |volume=22 |issue=3 |pages=567–570 |doi=10.1089/end.2007.0304 |issn=0892-7790 |pmc=2637791 |pmid=18290732}} It is also a common ingredient in salad dressings of Filipino ensalada dishes.{{cite book |last1=Agbanlog |first1=Liza |title=Quintessential Filipino Cooking: 75 Authentic and Classic Recipes of the Philippines |date=2018 |publisher=Page Street Publishing |isbn=9781624145490 |page=75}}

Calamansi is also characteristically used as a condiment in almost all pancit dishes (Filipino noodles), which adds a citrusy sour flavor profile.{{Cite journal |last1=Mercado |first1=Jame Monren T. |last2=Andalecio |first2=Avi Ben P. |date=2020 |title=Ysla de Panciteria: A Preliminary Study on the Culinary Heritage Significance of Pancit Using the Heritage Documentation Approach—the Case of Luzon Island, Philippines |journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods |language=en |volume=7 |at=Article 19 |doi=10.1186/s42779-020-00057-1 |doi-access=free}}{{Cite web |last=Tee |first=Sharwin |title=12 Best and Unique Pancit Noodle Dishes in the Philippines |url=https://guidetothephilippines.ph/articles/history-culture/pancit-guide-philippines |access-date=July 9, 2021 |website=Guide to the Philippines |language=en}} They aren't usually cooked with the dishes but are provided as condiments, sliced into halves upon serving. They are meant to be squeezed over the noodles if desired.

Calamansi is also a traditional ingredient in kesong puti, a native soft, unaged, white cheese made from carabao milk. It is added, along with cane vinegar, to help with the curdling, while also adding a citrusy flavor.{{cite web |last1=Kealoha |first1=Rezel |title=How To Make Kesong Puti (Filipino White Cheese) |url=https://rezelkealoha.com/how-to-make-kesong-puti-filipino-white-cheese/ |website=Rezel Kealoha |access-date=24 August 2024}}

The fruit is used in local recipes in northern Indonesia, especially around the North Sulawesi region. Fish are spritzed and marinated with the juice prior to cooking to eliminate the "fishy" smell. Kuah asam ("sour soup") is a regional clear fish broth made with calamansi juice.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

File:Singapore style Hokkien mee.jpg, served with calamansi]]

In Malaysia and Singapore the fruit, known in Malay as limau kasturi{{cite web | url=https://www.newmalaysiankitchen.com/limau-kasturi-calamansi-limau-nipis-key-lime/ | title=Key Lime (Limau Nipis) & Calamansi lime (Limau Kasturi) | date=3 May 2017 }} and in Malaysian and Singaporean English as "small lime", can be found paired with dishes at hawker centers and restaurants. It serves as a way to balance, often rich, dishes like noodles and stews. The plant is also sold as an ornamental.{{Cn|date=May 2025}}

File:Frosted Calamondin Cake (cropped).jpg

In Florida, the fruit is used in its fully ripe form with a more mature flavor profile than the unripe version. Tasters note elements of apricot, tangerine, lemon, pineapple, and guava. The peel is so thin that each fruit must be hand snipped from the tree to avoid tearing. The entire fruit minus the stems and seeds can be used. It is hand processed and pureed or juiced and used in various products such as calamondin cake, coulis, marmalade, and jam. The peels can be dehydrated and used as a gourmet flavoring with salt and sugar. The fruit was popular with Florida cooks in cake form from the 1920s to the 1950s.{{Citation needed|date=January 2021}}

Floridians who have a calamansi in the yard often use the juice in a summer variation of lemonade or limeade, as mentioned above, and, left a bit sour, it cuts thirst with the distinctive flavor; also it can be used on fish and seafood, or wherever any other sour citrus would be used.

The fruit is cultivated in home gardens in Sri Lanka, and is known as {{lang|si|නස් නාරං}} (nas narang) in Sinhala. It is used in Ayurveda medicine as treatment for Vitamin C deficiency, hyperlipidemia, and upper respiratory tract infections.{{cite web |title=Ayurvedic Plants of Sri Lanka: Plants Details |url=http://www.instituteofayurveda.org/plants/plants_detail.php?i=1174&s=Local_name |website=Barberyn Ayurveda Resort, Weligama, Sri Lanka |access-date=1 May 2025}}

File:Calamondin02.jpg

The Philippines is the only major producer of calamansi. It ranks as the fourth most widely-grown fruit crop in the Philippines, after banana, mango, and pineapple. It is primarily grown for its juice extracts which are exported to the United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and Hong Kong, among others.

The Philippines exports between 160,000 and 190,000 metric tons of calamansi juice each year. Major production centers include the Southwestern Tagalog Region, Central Luzon, and the Zamboanga Peninsula.{{cite book |last1=Rodeo |first1=Arlan James D. |chapter=The Philippine Fruit Industry: An Overview |date=2016 |publisher=Jiangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences |title=International Training Workshop on Cultivation Techniques for Fruit Trees, 10-24 October 2016 |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/311067359}} Its cultivation has spread from the Philippines throughout Southeast Asia, India, Hawaii, the West Indies, and Central and North America, though only on a small scale.Morton, J. 1987. [http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/calamondin.html Calamondin.] p. 176–78. In: Morton, J. Fruits of Warm Climates. Miami, Florida.{{cite news |title=Agritrends: There's a huge international market for calamansi |url=https://www.searca.org/press/agritrends-huge-international-market-calamansi |access-date=14 March 2023 |work=Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture |date=12 April 2019}}

In sub-tropical and parts of warm temperate North America, × Citrofortunella microcarpa is grown primarily as an ornamental plant in gardens, and in pots and container gardens on terraces and patios. The plant is especially attractive when the fruits are present.{{Cite web |title=Citrus ID: Fact Sheet: Calamondin |url=https://idtools.org/id/citrus/citrusid/factsheet.php?name=Calamondin |access-date=2022-06-01 |website=idtools.org}}

The plant is sensitive to prolonged and/or extreme cold and is therefore limited outdoors to tropical, sub-tropical and the warmer parts of warm temperate climates, such as the coastal plain of the southeastern United States (USDA zones 8b - 11), parts of California, southern Arizona, southern Texas, and Hawaii. Potted plants are brought into a greenhouse, conservatory, or indoors as a houseplant during the winter periods in regions with cooler climates.{{cite book | author = Mabberley, D.J. | date = 1987 | title = The Plant Book. A Portable Dictionary of the Higher Plants | publisher = Cambridge University Press | location = Cambridge | isbn = 0-521-34060-8 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/plantbookportabl0000mabb }}

In cultivation within the United Kingdom, this plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit{{cite web

| url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/320548/i-Citrus-i-×-i-microcarpa-i-(F)/Details

| title = RHS Plantfinder - Citrus × microcarpa

| access-date=12 January 2018}} in 2017.{{cite web | url= https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 20 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 24 January 2018}}

• Citrus depressa (shikwasa, hirami lemon), a similar cultivar widely used in Taiwan and Okinawa, Japan
• Citrus poonensis (ponkan orange), a similarly sized sweet orange from China

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Citrus × microcarpa}}

• [http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/patiocitrus/Calamondin.html Calamondin – The Most Versatile Fruit] at Aggie Horticulture.

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Category:Filipino cuisine

Category:Citrus hybrids

Category:Flora of China

Category:Flora of Malesia

Category:Fruits originating in Asia

Category:Garden plants of Asia

Category:Ornamental trees

Category:Kumquats

Category:Fruit trees