Kumquat, kum quat, cum quat, koum kouat or any other spelling…

Kumquat in Chinese means “golden orange” and it resembles indeed little, very little oranges.

It can be eaten with the skin and its flavour is bittersweet. Kumquats where brought to Corfu by the British (Botanist Sidney Merlin, to be precise) in 1860. It seems the plant liked the Corfiot climate and the people of Corfu liked its taste and aroma. Nowadays, kum quats are mostly grown in northwest Corfu, especially near the village of Nymfes. Kum quat liqueur has become a trademark of Corfu, and it can be found in both the characteristic bright orange and in the, more natural, yellowish colour. But kum quats are also used in cooking and processed into sweets, jam, marmelade and even perfume!