Left turn at Meyer Lemons

True story: a friend of mine to whom I gave some kumquats tried to peel and eat them. Some of you are chuckling, and the others are thinking, "so what?"

While kumquats look like miniature citrus fruit, they are not prized for the same qualities. And please: don't try to peel them.

Unfamiliar with kumquats myself, we once ordered some from a specialty fruit mail-order house. Something went awry with the order and we ended up with the first lost order and the second replacement order, arriving simultaneously.

No matter how much one likes them, there are only so many kumquats one can consume. They are about the size of a large olive, with almost no pulp. We tried eating them whole, unadorned, enh. We tried buzzing them into a new exotic cocktail, enh.

The problem with our attempts, and my friend's attempt, to enjoy these unfamiliar fruits, is that while the look like citrus, they really are not.

That means they don't have a juicy center as we expect from other citrus. The zing is in the zest.

Too late for me, but perhaps not for you, comes Amanda Hesser's piece in the New York Times. You must read it, if only for the titillating description of old world cultivation methods (involving 10th century damsels and "disgraceful sex"), ahem.

I was reminded of this exotic fruit while viewing a recent episode of Iron Chef America. I am encouraged again and will try to find them, cook with them, and share results.

Buddha's Hands are the second freaky fruit of note. While this is truly a member of the citrus family, unlike kumquats, these are an ingredient most of us would be hard pressed to use. In fact, they are most often used in decorative or ornamental ways, including in offerings at altars.

The fruit has many finger-like segments, resembling a multi-fingered hand. With almost no pulp or juice, its primary value is its fragrance and having little bitter pith, it is sometimes for its zest.

I've even heard of vodkas flavored with it. Now that may be worth the detour.