What Is Calamansi? Everything to Know About the Magical Filipino Fruit
If you go to the Philippines, calamansi is ubiquitous. Here in the United States, it’s more of a rarity. I was first introduced to calamansi by recipe developer and blogger Jasmine Briones of Sweet Simple Vegan. Her mother is Filipino, and Jasmine recreates plant-based versions of the classic Filipino dishes she grew up with.
I had never heard of the fruit before, but it’s been growing in popularity in recent years. There’s calamansi sparkling water and gummy candies, and Trader Joe’s even sells a calamansi and mango sorbet.
So what is this Filipino fruit, and what makes it so special? I spoke to Kristina Razon, deputy food editor at The Kitchn, who’s of Filipino heritage, to learn all about the fruit and its significance in the culture.
Quick Overview: What Is Calamansi?
Calamansi (also known as calamandin, calamondin, kalamansi, or Philippine limes) is a tropical citrus fruit native to the Philippines. It can also be found all over Southeast Asia. The fruit is about the size of a kumquat with a green exterior when unripe (orange when ripe) and yellowish-orange interior and is mostly in season from mid-August through October. Typically used unripe, its sweet and sour flavor tastes like a mix between a lemon, an orange, and a lime. It is a staple in Filipino cooking and often used as a seasoning to brighten or finish dishes, or drank straight as juice.
What Does Calamansi Taste Like?
Calamansi has a sweet, sour, citrusy flavor like a mix between a lemon, an orange, and a lime. “It is sweeter and not as bracing as a lemon,” Kristina says. It has a strong floral citrusy scent that permeates the air as soon as you open it, similar to the scent of a freshly peeled orange or tangerine. The juice is a bright, sunshiney yellow color and fairly opaque (more akin to orange juice than lemon juice).
How to Use Calamansi
You can use calamansi the same way you would any other citrus fruit. Drink the juice straight or mix it into your favorite cocktails, mocktails, or teas. Calamansi juice also goes great in marinades and dipping sauces.
In Filipino culture, calamansi is traditionally used as a seasoning or flavoring agent. “It’s like our version of a lemon or lime. We don’t use lemon or lime — we use calamansi,” Kristina says. It’s also typically used unripe for its tartness. “When it’s ripe, it’s orange and sweet and not at all tart. We strictly only use it as an unripe fruit.”
You’ll find calamansi as a key ingredient in staple dishes like pancit, sisig, and kinilaw. It’s often commonly combined in dipping sauces such as toyomansi (with soy sauce) or patismansi (with fish sauce), both of which can be bought pre-made.
Filipinos also like to flavor their food as they eat. Kristina explains, “A huge cultural feature of the cuisine is called sawsawan. So you have dishes on the table of different seasonings whether it’s vinegar, or fish sauce, or soy sauce, or halves of calamansi, and then you season your food to taste.”
While uncommon and not something you’d see in the Philippines, you could add calamansi to flavor desserts like pies, ice cream, and cookies.
Where to Buy Calamansi
Because Filipinos like to use the fruit while it’s unripe, you won’t find fresh calamansi fruit here in the U.S. Instead, you’ll find different packaged versions at Asian markets or at online stores like Weee!.
The purest form you can find is 100% frozen calamansi juice, which is sold in little packets. You can also find bottled or canned calamansi juice, which may also contain sugar and water.
Kristina says you can find shelf-stable versions of calamansi, but it’s far too sweet for her liking. “There’s also a powder you can get. My mom would sometimes use that to sprinkle on noodle dishes.”
In a pinch, you can make a decent enough substitute using a mixture of lemon juice, lime juice, and sugar.