Calamansi packs a punch - in seafood, with meat or as a refreshing juice

For something so small, the calamansi (also called calamondin) packs a powerful punch. The citrus fruit is only about 2.5cm in diameter, but it's juicy, with a bright, pleasantly mouth-puckering and distinctive flavour. It's usually picked when the peel is green; as it ripens, it turns yellow, then orange.

The calamansi grows well in tropical and subtropical climates; in Asia, it's used in the cuisines of the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. As with many other types of citrus, calamansi goes well with seafood but its zesty flavour also works at balancing the richness of fatty meat dishes. Calamansi juice makes a refreshing drink when mixed with soda water and served over ice; the addition of a shot of dark rum makes it even better.

It's not the easiest fruit to find in Hong Kong; they are available in the shops selling Filipino products in World-Wide House, in Central, and those specialising in Southeast Asian ingredients around Stone Nullah Lane, in Wan Chai.