Friday, August 14, 2009

Calamansi (Citrofortunella macrocarpa)


One thing I definitely miss ‘bout not living in the Philippines is the fact that I can’t get Calamansi (Citrofortunella macrocarpa) wherever and whenever I want it (which is “all the time”). This citrus variety is by no means non-existent down under but they are not plentiful and they are also seasonal. Calamansi is excellent as a drink and widely used also as a dipping sauce.


I’ve tried to grow my own but for some reason (my non-green thumb, I suppose) I have been less than successful. The fruits of my calamansi shrub fall off before they even mature. Any advice from anyone out there on how I can prevent this from happening?


To make up for how much I missed calamansi I made sure I got a dose of it on a regular basis during a recent trip to the Philippines. Thank God for the couple of calamansi trees in my mother-in-law’s property that are teeming with fruit I literally had access to this prized produce right in my backyard.


To make a glass of calamansi drink you need the following:

4-5 calamansi (you can add or reduce this depending on how tart you want your drink to be)
2 tablespoons of sugar (again, adjust to taste)
Water
Lots of ice

1. Cut the calamansi in half and squeeze the juice into a tall glass. You can get rid of the seeds if you like but I really do not mind them.
2. Add the sugar to the juice and mix well.
3. Add about half a glass of water and mix well.
4. Fill the glass with ice.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

i was about to ask- wala bang calamansi sa australia? hehehe.

i heard guavas have more vitamin C than calamansi. i don't really know.

The Beancounter said...

hehehehe...meron, bihira at mahal! we have a guava tree in our backyard...found out 'bout it a few months ago lang...

Tangled Noodle said...

It's even worse for me!! I have never found fresh calamansi fruit in any store here in Minnesota and there is no way it will grow with our brutal, subzero winters. The best I've come across is frozen calamansi concentrate - adequate but nowhere near as delicious.

We will be spending Christmas in the Philippines again this year! After last year's trip, I have an even better idea of the foods and drinks that I'm going to concentrate on!

The Beancounter said...

I'll have to drop by a pinoy store and check out if they've got frozen concentrate...it's the next best thing since i can't grown my own...

thanks for dropping by TN! If only i could go back in Dec as well...i'm excited for you!