By Jackie Flaten
Some of the new exotic fruits are gloriously showy – Day-Glo pink with lime-green tendrils, bold gold ovals with orange spots and vicious pokey spikes, moss green buckyball-esque…
On the other hand, you might not look twice at the Finger Lime, an Australian native that’s smallish, like a short fat cucumber, dark green and innocuous. It doesn’t scream intensity. The price tag might scare you off too.
But if you happen to find a rare Finger Lime or Microcitrus australasica, I highly recommend you buy it. Underneath the mild-looking skin are translucent tiny pearls of dynamite flavor. They’re hard to find, limited seasonally and fanatically sought-after by those in the know. The taste? Like most fruit, almost impossible to describe but I’ll try: “citrusy magical textural flavor explosion.”
After discovering “Citrus Caviar” a few years ago at the Shanley Farms’ booth within Savor California at the Fancy Food Show, I was hooked. Its high-profile flavor accents anything it accompanies to the nth degree. Samples were served with yogurt as well as on their own. The pop on one’s tongue is reminiscent of the small orange sushi roe, but the taste is citrus, green, sweet and tangy all at once. Top chefs adorn everything from fish to salads to risotto and ice cream with these delectable dots.
The pop on one’s tongue is reminiscent of the small orange sushi roe, but the taste is citrus, green, sweet and tangy all at once. Top chefs adorn everything from fish to salads to risotto and ice cream with these delectable dots.
Poised to be the next great citrus, California farmers are scaling to larger markets. Shanley Farms, out of the California Central Coast, has trademarked their Finger Limes as “Citriburst’; they also provide Morro Bay avocados, kiwis, lemons, coffee trees, raspberry figs, goji berries and more (most produce sold to wholesalers). Citriburst Finger Limes are available for purchase online fall through early winter and also through several distributors including Whole Foods Market, Hy-Vee, New Seasons and Super Valu.
Shanley Farms founder Jim Shanley started farming in his retirement years, after a commodities career. His goal is to leave a real legacy for his family and generations to come. Starting with an avocado ranch, Jim was soon smitten with the first-to-U.S.-market possibilities of the Finger Lime micro citrus. The first trees were planted ten years ago, and begin fruiting in 2011.
Learn more about their products, and great story here: http://shanleyfarms.com/our-story/ Main website is here: http://www.shanleyfarms.com, and you can find them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest. #fingerlimes #citriburstfingerlimes #citriburst #newfruit #newcitrus #microcitrus #wffs16 #amazingflavor
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