Kumquat

Kumquat can start when your baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months. This citrus fruit began in East Asia and is related to oranges, lemons and limes. Most of it is still grown in Asia today. The English name comes from a Cantonese or Japanese word. The plant tolerates cold well, so it has been used to breed hybrids like calamansi.

It is rich in vitamin C, which supports immunity and helps absorb iron from plant foods. Fiber, vitamin B6, folate, potassium and calcium come with it. The peel is especially rich in plant compounds that help against inflammation and oxidation.

Seeds

Seeds are edible but a bit bitter. Remove them before serving to young babies. After age two, a child can chew and swallow them or learn to spit them out.

Size as they grow

After 18 months, if your child bites and tears reliably with the teeth, offer quartered and then halved kumquat. Show the biting yourself in an exaggerated way first.

Whole kumquat

Consider whole kumquat only after 24 months, when your child can sit and follow directions, and with supervision. Roll it gently first to soften it and show chewing with the molars. Do not give a whole kumquat to a child who is not seated at the table.

Kumquat is firm, round and hard to chew. These traits raise the choking risk. Most health bodies advise holding off on comparable foods, grapes for example, until age four. Prepare it in a way that suits your child's age, and stay close at meals, within arm's reach.

Kumquat is not counted as a common allergen. Even so, sensitivity to citrus is reported often. People with oral allergy syndrome, especially those allergic to grass and some tree pollens, may be sensitive to citrus. The sign is usually brief itching, tingling or burning in the mouth.

Kumquat is very acidic. Its juice can cause a harmless red patch around the mouth. In excess it can irritate digestion and worsen diaper rash. The limonene in the peel can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive people.

If the juice stays on the skin and the skin meets sun, an itchy, sometimes blistering rash called phytophotodermatitis can appear. After handling citrus, rinse the skin, and keep sunscreen on. Keep the first servings small.