Japanese Culture in New York - Chopsticks NY

For the month of February, in the spirit of St. Valentine’s Day, this recipe corner treats you to something sweet by featuring a seasonal and healthy fruit, the kumquat. Called kinkan in Japan, the fruit is enjoyed as a compote, jam, and fruit liquor during the winter and is taken it as a natural remedy for colds, sore throats, and coughs.  It is scientifically proven that the kumquat strengthens capillaries and helps prevent high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis thanks to an abundance of vitamins, and especially Hesperidin contained in its skin.  This time, Misako sensei makes the most of the fruit’s flavor and health benefits by creating Kumquat Compote, which is easy to cook and versatile to eat.  If you use the compote as a garnish for sweets like chocolate cake and ice cream, its citric, bitter flavor really upgrades desserts in both taste and presentation.  Also, the remaining kumquat syrup has a nice citrus flavor and nutrients, so you can drink it with hot water, add it to black tea, or make jelly out of it.

[InGredients] (Serves 3-4 people)
- 1 pt kumquats
- 1/2 lb dark brown sugar
- 3 cups water
- 3 tbsp orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, etc.)

[Directions]
1. Wash kumquats well and dry with paper towel

2. With a needle, prick some holes all over the peel.  (This prevents kumquats from shrinking after cooked)
3. Boil 3 cups of water and dissolve sugar.

4. Add kumquats to the pot and bring it back to a boil.  Turn off the heat when it begins to boil.
5. Let the mixture cool down for about 15 minutes and bring it back to a boil.  Repeat 2 more times.
6. Add orange liqueur at the end of the process.  If you don’t have the liqueur, you can skip this step.
7. Put the kumquat mixture into a container and let it sit in the fridge overnight.
8. Serve it with ice cream, over a dark chocolate cake, or enjoy it as is.

Tip: Kumquat compote is used as a throat medicine in Japan.  The syrup, with brown sugar and kumquat, can soothe a scratchy throat!

Misako Sassa Japanese cooking instructor/food consultant
Misako teaches authentic Japanese cooking, focusing on simple, delicious, and healthy home-style cooking using seasonal and local ingredients.
Website: Japaneseculinarystudionyc.com
Cooking video: ny1page.com