Calamansi is a small, round Philippine citrus, about the size of a large marble, thought to be a cross between a mandarin and a kumquat. Its juice is very sour with a floral, orange-like perfume. Filipinos squeeze it over noodles, grilled fish and sisig, mix it with soy sauce for dipping, and turn it into a sweet juice.
Calamansi does the job that lemon does in Western cooking, but it smells completely different. Cut one open and you get lime-level sourness with the sweet, floral scent of a mandarin peel. That pairing is the whole point, and it is why plain lime juice never tastes quite right in a Filipino recipe.
Outside Southeast Asia the fresh fruit can be hard to find. This guide covers what calamansi is, how it is used, where to look for it, and the closest substitute to mix when you cannot get it.
What is calamansi?
Calamansi (also written kalamansi, and sold as calamondin) is Citrus × microcarpa, a small evergreen citrus native to Asia. NC State Extension describes it as a likely mandarin and kumquat cross, with round fruit about 1 to 1¾ inches across that starts green and ripens to orange.
In the Philippines it is usually picked and used green, when the juice is sharpest. Ripe orange fruit is a little sweeter and softer. The peel is thin and fragrant, and the small fruit is full of seeds, so squeeze it through your fingers or a small strainer.
What does calamansi taste like?
Sour first. Think lime, then add the perfume of a tangerine and a faint bitterness from the peel. The juice is too tart to drink straight, which is why calamansi juice is always sweetened. Compared with lemon it is more aromatic; compared with lime it is less sharp and more floral.
How is calamansi used in Filipino cooking?
Mostly fresh and raw, squeezed at the table or right before serving. A few ways it turns up:
- Toyomansi: soy sauce and calamansi juice, the everyday dipping sauce for fried fish, dumplings and grilled pork.
- Sisig: a squeeze over the sizzling plate cuts through the fat, as in this sizzling tuna sisig.
- Bistek Tagalog: beef or pork marinated in soy sauce and calamansi, then cooked with onion rings. Try the pork bistek Tagalog recipe.
- Pancit: halved calamansi are served on the side of almost every plate of noodles.
- Drinks: calamansi juice, sweetened with sugar or honey and served cold or warm.
The rule is the same as for any fresh citrus. Add it at the end. Long cooking dulls the aroma and leaves only the sourness.
What is the best substitute for calamansi?
A mix works better than any single fruit. Use three parts lime juice to one part mandarin or orange juice. The lime brings the sourness, the mandarin brings the perfume. For a marinade or dipping sauce, that blend is close enough that most people will not notice.
Other options, best first:
- Key lime juice, small and aromatic, on its own.
- Lemon juice with a little mandarin juice.
- Kumquat, sliced and squeezed, if you can find it.
- Plain lime juice, sharper and less floral, as a last resort.
Where to buy calamansi outside Asia
Look in Asian and Filipino grocery stores. Fresh fruit turns up sometimes, but the freezer section is the reliable place: bags of whole frozen calamansi and frozen juice are common. Bottled concentrate exists too; check that it is unsweetened if you want it for cooking. Calamondin trees are also sold as houseplants in Europe, and the fruit from them is the same species.
How to store calamansi
Whole fruit keeps a few days at room temperature and about two weeks in a bag in the fridge. For longer, freeze it. Whole calamansi freeze well and can be squeezed half-thawed; the juice also freezes in ice cube trays, one cube per dish.
Calamansi FAQ
Is calamansi the same as calamondin?
Yes. Calamondin is the name used for the same fruit, Citrus × microcarpa, especially when it is sold as an ornamental tree.
Is calamansi a lime or a lemon?
Neither. It is its own citrus, thought to be a mandarin and kumquat hybrid, though it is sometimes called Philippine lime or Philippine lemon.
Can you eat calamansi peel?
Yes, the thin peel is edible and very fragrant. It is often left on in drinks and preserves, but most cooking uses only the juice.
Can I use lime instead of calamansi?
You can, but add a little mandarin or orange juice. Lime alone gives the sourness without the floral smell that makes calamansi distinct.
Can you freeze calamansi?
Yes, whole fruit and juice both freeze well for several months. Squeeze the fruit while it is still slightly frozen for the most juice.
Key takeaways
- Calamansi is a small Philippine citrus, sour with a mandarin-like perfume.
- It is used fresh: in toyomansi, on sisig and pancit, in bistek and in juice.
- The best substitute is three parts lime juice to one part mandarin or orange juice.
- Asian grocers usually stock it frozen, whole or as juice.
- Freeze extra juice in ice cube trays.
Try it in a soy and calamansi dip
If you find a bag of calamansi, start with toyomansi: soy sauce and calamansi juice in equal parts, a little chopped chili if you like heat. It turns plain fried fish or tofu into a Filipino meal. For the soy side of that bowl, see what soy sauce is and which type to use.
