Calamansi in the UK- finally.

The humble calamansi.

Small but packing a hefty punch, this is an ingredient that deserves serious respect.

The humble calamansi is getting some due mainstream popularity, and can now even be be found as a ready made cooks’ ingredient in your local Waitrose. However, we think this petite explosive star of Southeast Asian cuisine deserves a central spot in your chef repertoire, or just a lil bit more of your everyday attention.

What exactly is calamansi? Because it is a distinctly Philippine and Malaysian food ingredient, I referred to some Philippine and Malaysian food blogs to learn more about this enigmatic ingredient: https://panlasangpinoy.com/what-is-calamansi/. It has a distinctive taste, both sour and tangy, but with sweet undertones when ripe (when the skin turns yellow).

It is used in a wide variety of Southeast Asian drinks, and is the star in many a thirst quencher. One of the most famous ones is Asam Boi- It has a swaggy name, but asam boi refers to salted preserved plum that is a staple in traditional Malaysian kitchens (mums used to stick one in their children’s mouths when on long road trips to placate them). Asam Boi refers to a mocktail concocted with the preserved plum, some freshly squeezed calamansi and water (and lots of ice!). You can find an authentic recipe here on the New Malaysian Kitchen blog. 

It is the star of a huge variety of Southeast Asian dishes, which will be the topic of upcoming blog posts!