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The tangerine
(Citrus × tangerina
) is an orange-coloured citrus fruit. It is a variety of the Mandarin orange (Citrus reticulata
). Tangerines are smaller than most oranges, and the skin of some varieties will peel off more easily. The taste is often less sour, or tart, than that of an orange.
Good quality tangerines will be firm to slightly soft, heavy for their size, and pebbly-skinned with no deep grooves, as well as orange in color. Peak tangerine season is short, lasting from November to January in the Northern Hemisphere.
Tangerines are most commonly peeled and eaten out of hand. The fresh fruit is also used in salads, desserts and main dishes. Fresh tangerine juice and frozen juice concentrate are commonly available in the United States.
The number of seeds in each segment (carpel) varies greatly.
A popular alternative to tangerines are clementines, which are also a variant of the mandarin orange.
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TANGERINE TICKETS
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History
Tangerines have been cultivated for over 3,000 years in China and Japan. They did not reach Europe and North America, however, until the nineteenth century. The name
tangerine
comes from
Tangier,
Morocco, a port from which the first tangerines were shipped to Europe.
Varieties
The Honey tangerine, originally called a
murcott,
is very sweet, as its name suggests. Other popular kinds include the sunburst tangerines and
Fairchild tangerines.
One of the oldest and most popular varieties is the Dancy tangerine, but it is no longer widely grown.
[1] The Dancy was known as the
zipper-skin
tangerine, and also as the
kid-glove orange
, for its loose, pliable peel. Its peak season is December, so children would often receive one in their
Christmas stockings. For this reason it is commonly known as a 'Christmas Orange'.
Nutrition