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Taste Flavor Of Dade City

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By GEOFF FOX

gfox@tampatrib.com

Published: February 1, 2009

DADE CITY - With a tiny basket of kumquats in each hand, Roger Swain stood in front of a tent by the historic Dade City Courthouse on Saturday morning and hollered like a carnival barker.

"Come in! Come in!" he called. "Step right up. Kumquats! I have the kumquats!"

To perennial attendees of the annual Kumquat festival, Swain, a New Hampshire resident who hosted "Victory Garden" on PBS for 15 years, is a familiar personality.

But it was all new to Margaret Lasota of Barrie, Ontario, who attended the 12th annual festival Saturday with husband Zigmund. The Lasotas were two of thousands of people who attended the popular event, which was even promoted on the official Super Bowl XLIII Web site.

"These are the meiwa," Swain advised the Lasotas. "They're sweet all the way through."

In Swain's other basket were the more flavorful nagami kumquats.

"The sweetness is in the rind," he said. "The more you chew, the sweeter it gets."

About 30,000 people were expected at the festival, which began at 9 a.m. By 10 a.m., cars lined downtown streets and filled parking lots. Besides vendors selling kumquat-based products, the event featured live country music, antiques, quilts and a car and truck show, among other attractions.

Carl and Judi Tompkins of North Carolina attended the festival for the first time Saturday. Carl popped a nagami kumquat in his mouth and spoke of his wife's uncle, who has a kumquat tree in his yard.

"He makes kumquat pie and just eats them right off the tree," he said.

Surveying the mass of humanity milling around him, he added, "This is pretty fun."

Reporter Geoff Fox can be reached at (813) 779-4613. Keyword: Kumquat, to see photos from the festival.

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