Citrus depressa
| Citrus depressa | |
|---|---|
| Shiikwāsā on a tree | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Rutaceae |
| Genus: | Citrus |
| Species: | C. depressa |
| Binomial name | |
| Citrus depressa | |
Citrus depressa (Citrus × depressa, formerly C. pectinifera, Okinawan: シークヮーサー/シークァーサー, romanized: shiikwaasa, Japanese: ヒラミレモン, romanized: hirami remon or シークヮーサー, shiikwāsā, in English sometimes called shiikuwasha, shequasar, Taiwan tangerine, Okinawa lime, flat lemon, hirami lemon, or thin-skinned flat lemon, is a small citrus fruit often harvested and used when green, rich in flavonoids and native to East Asia (Taiwan and Okinawa Islands, Japan).
Very sour, it is often used like lemon or lime to garnish dishes, but is also used to make jams, or a yellow juice, which can be thinned or sweetened.
Its name is occasionally translated into English as calamansi (calamondin, Citrus × microcarpa), but this is a different fruit.
Shiikwaasa is primarily produced in southwest Japan, in the northern region of the main Okinawa island, along with another indigenous Japanese citrus, the tachibana orange (Citrus tachibana). The two are not the only species of citrus currently growing on the island, as there have been foreign species introduced and have since been crossbred alongside Citrus depressa. Despite the varying diversity of citrus currently found in the region, only shiikwasa and tachibana are native to this region, originating in the Ryukyu Islands.