James Bond is a (fictional) man of many talents. I would say that along with “international man of intrigue” and “lady killer” we should also consider his talents as a mixologist and poet. Because in the 1953 Ian Flemming novel Casino Royale, Mr. Bond combines both skills to memorable effect.

    "A dry martini," [Bond] said. "One. In a deep champagne goblet."

    "Oui, monsieur."

    "Just a moment. Three measures of Gordon's, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?"

    "Certainly, monsieur." The barman seemed pleased with the idea.

    "Gosh, that's certainly a drink," said Leiter.

    Bond laughed. "When I'm...er...concentrating," he explained, "I never have more than one drink before dinner. But I do like that one to be large and very strong and very cold and very well-made. I hate small portions of anything, particularly when they taste bad. This drink's my own invention. I'm going to patent it when I can think of a good name."

Kumquats. Do you love them? They are one of the lesser known and most misunderstood members of the large and diverse citrus family.

They are also my Market Matters choice this week. I just could not let citrus season slip by without choosing at least one example to discuss and create with this year. After all, I live in Southern California. We are known for our citrus.

And that’s because we have a nearly perfect climate to grow so many varieties of them. Kumquats included.

The funny thing about a kumquat is it is most prized for it’s sweet skin. Most citrus is eaten primarily for it’s sweet, juicy pulp.

Kumquats are the “bon-bon” of the citrus world. They are mostly enjoyed by simply popping one into your mouth and eating it whole. When you do this you will experience a rush of flavor. They are that intense. Like little flavor bombs.

This flavor is much more complex than any other citrus too. Adjectives that come to mind are: citrusy, fresh, pungent, herbal. Perhaps even woodsy. There is also a definite undertone to them that can only be described as “oily”. Well, that is how David Karp recently described it in a recent LA Times article. It’s a good word to describe an unusual sensation of the mouth too. So I’ll stick with it myself.