Dried and Sugared Whole Kumquat
Ingredient Name: Dried and Sugared Whole Kumquat
Traditional Chinese Name: 桔餅(Jú bǐng)
What is this?
- This is a pretty unique ingredient to soups, especially soups that are designed for the throat and lungs
- The Chinese recommend eating preserved and salted kumquats (whole) to soothe and heal the throat, or address coughs and this is the dried variation to be used in soups or teas
- This dried kumquat is slightly sweet and slightly tart
- They usually come in sizes varying from around 2-3 inches in diameter and are bright orange in colour with a white coating on the outside (the sugar)
- A majority of these are produced in China
How do I prepare it?
- No preparation needed other than storing in a dry, cool place
- Some people do store this in the fridge as well
- For teas, I usually use only 1 dried kumquat for 2 cups worth of tea
Where can I buy this?
- In Asia, especially in Hong Kong, you can buy these at the wet marts, herbalists, dried food stalls (the ones that also sell dried red dates and fish maw)
- They also come in prepackaged soup packs
What is the cost?
- Very affordable, only a few dollars HKD for one
Any benefits?
- A super healing food for the throat and lungs and stomach
- Especially recommended for teas and soups that help with coughs (especially those coughs that last long and can’t seem to shake away)
- Extremely rich in vitamin C, dietary fibre, and pectin, which can help lower cholesterol
- As it is also sugar coated, no additional sugar is usually needed when making teas
Any precautions?
- Buy from a reputable source
- Be sure to store in a dry, cool place as they can prone to spoiling in more humid weather