Citrous Reinvention:

Bringing kumquats up to date

Lina Liao, third-generation chief executive officer at Minxiong Kumquat Factory, tells us that kumquats are known for three flavors: the sweetness of their skin, the sourness of their juice, and the bitterness of their seeds. The most troublesome task is to remove the seeds: small as it is, each kumquat contains from three to as many as seven seeds. To enhance the economic value of kumquats, the company has worked with the Food ­Industry Research and Development Institute to launch candied “crystal kumquats.”

Attracting fresh attention to this once-neglected fruit, the project has effectively offset the unpopular bitterness of kumquat seeds and the spiciness of the rind through a special candying technique. The company has since developed mini-pastries containing whole kumquats and is now able to capitalize on all parts of the plant. The skin and flesh are made into candied fruit, jam, sauce, and concentrated juice. The seeds are grown to create ornamental potted plants. Even the leaves have culinary uses: they’re cooked with roast chicken or with eggs braised in tea-infused soy sauce. Minxiong Kumquat Factory is thus actively engaged in adding value to farm produce.

Kumquats are harvested manually. It’s labor-intensive and time-consuming work. (courtesy of Minxiong Kumquat Factory)

Second-generation owner Tsai Te-yi opened a shop in downtown Minxiong. The giant smiley kumquat was installed in 1990, becoming a local landmark as well as a memory shared by Minxiong people. (courtesy of Minxiong Kumquat Factory)

Tsai Hai-piao (at left in right-hand photo) established a kumquat processing business and trained salespeople, endeavoring to turn the fruit into one of Minxiong’s specialties.(courtesy of Minxiong Kumquat Factory)

The story of a factory

This insistence on putting everything to good use is a legacy that reaches back through four generations. Minxiong Kumquat Factory began in 1936, when founder Tsai Hai-piao, inspired by the high premium Japan put on local produce, decided to promote the sweet‡sour kumquats he had tasted before. He encouraged local farmers to grow kumquats, taking advantage of Minxiong’s free-draining red soil. Subsequently, he established his own kumquat processing business.

Kumquats have to be washed and sorted before being processed. (courtesy of Minxiong Kumquat Factory)

Minxiong Kumquat Factory has collaborated with the Food Industry Research and Development Institute to launch “crystal kumquats,” which are candied at low temperature.

Each of these bite-sized pastries contains a whole kumquat, creating a wonderful richly layered delight that is soft and flaky outside but citrusy, sweet and juicy inside.

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Today, visitors to Minxiong Kumquat Factory can look at Tsai’s manifesto in the story hall. One of his tenets has become his family’s creed: “We value quality above financial gain.” Endeavoring to turn the kumquat into a local specialty, second-generation owner Tsai Te-yi opened a shop in the town center. The two-storey-tall smiley kumquat on the shopfront, Tsai Hai-piao’s “Kumquat Song,” and the door-to-door marketing strategy are all memories shared by Chiayi people.

Minxiong Kumquat Factory has a “time tunnel” where visitors learn about the history and evolution of the kumquat industry.

The design of Minxiong Kumquat Factory’s retail space is inspired by kumquats. The lamps look like ripe kumquats, symbolizing endless vitality.

Opening their factory to tourists, the Tsai family set up a museum dedicated to the kumquat industry. Both the interior and the outside are lovingly designed to create a recreational vibe.

Transforming the site

Traditional agro-processing bore the brunt of the impact when Taiwan joined the World Trade Organization in 2002. With the factory struggling to make ends meet, the family had to consider whether to close the business for good, Lina Liao recalls. “But we wanted to carry on Grandfather’s vision!” She and her husband, Tsai Hsi-an, were determined to go all out.

In 2002, riding the wave of recreational agriculture, they established Kumquat Manor. Liao brought her love of plants into the design of the site and started serving special meals for visitors. The place was upgraded as a tourism factory in 2011, allowing visitors to observe the production processes and offering “foolproof” DIY jam-making classes. Here, we not only get to buy local products but also acquire intimate insights into a kumquat’s journey from farm to table.

Containing natural pectin, kumquats are perfect for making jam. The process is simple: seeding, blanching, puréeing, cooking with sugar, filling jars, and putting them upside down to seal. Both adults and children enjoy making kumquat jam.

Peter Tsai has redesigned the visual image of his family’s business, establishing a distinctive brand called Geli. Their colorful new packaging attracts the attention of young customers and online shoppers.

Rebranding kumquats

The fourth generation have begun to make their mark, too. Peter Tsai, who studied in Canada, has revamped Minxiong Kumquat Factory’s visual image, launching the brand Geli (a pun on the Taiwanese word for “auspicious”). With its refined, arty style, Geli appeals to young customers and online shoppers. Its products can even be found in supermarkets in Canada and the United States.

Minxiong Kumquat Factory’s newly established Geli Sweet cafe is also Peter Tsai’s brainchild. This stylishly designed glass-fronted building exudes a laid-back vibe. Customers come here to savor a diverse range of kumquat-themed foods and drinks while taking in the greenery outside. Thanks to the efforts of four generations of Tsai’s family, the factory has proven that its indefatigable pursuit of quality can transform even an old-fashioned fruit into something chic and trendy. 

Fond of old memories, Lina Liao has preserved a former cattle shed and pickling area, turning the factory museum into an architectural palimpsest. She wants her visitors to feel at home here.

Housed in a glass-fronted building, Geli Sweet sells a diverse range of meals, drinks, and ice creams. Customers come here to pamper their palates while relaxing amidst the lush greenery.