Native to China, the cumquat is a small citrus fruit known for its sweet-flavoured edible rind and tart segments. And demand for it is growing year by year, Australia’s largest commercial growers, Riverland-based Patria and Andrew Kohler told ABC Rural in June 2020.
The Kohlers’ 500-tree cumquat orchard produces around two tonnes of fruit per annum, in two varieties: the oval-shaped Nagami, tart and tangy, and the rounder, sweeter Marumi. Both varieties are rich in vitamins A, C and E and valuable micronutrients.
Along with supplying fresh fruit to markets Australia-wide, the sustainability-focused operation has diversified into on-farm processing, turning cumquats, complete with rind and pith, into naturally dried and candied fruits, jams and marmalades. They also utilise traditional by-products such as cumquat syrup in a product that can be poured onto pancakes, ice-cream and the like.
Source: Cumquats bring sweet success for growers’ zero-waste operation of exotic citrus fruit I ABC Rural