Mandarin orange

The Mandarin orange, also known as mandarin or mandarine, is a small citrus tree (Citrus reticulata) with fruit resembling other oranges. The fruit is oblate, rather than spherical. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain, or in fruit salads. Specifically reddish orange mandarin cultivars can be marketed as tangerines, but this is not a botanical classification.

The tree is more drought-tolerant than the fruit. The mandarin is tender, and is damaged easily by cold. It can be grown in tropical and subtropical areas.

Varieties and characteristics

The Mandarine orange is but one variety of the orange family. The mandarine has many names, some of which actually refer to crosses between the mandarin and another citrus fruit. Most canned mandarines are of the Mikan variety (derived from migan in Chinese), of which there are over 200 cultivars. One of the more well-known mikan cultivars is the "Owari", which ripens during the late fall season. Clementines, however, have displaced mikans in many markets, and are becoming the most important commercial mandarin variety.

The mandarin is easily peeled with the fingers, starting at the thick rind covering the depression at the top of the fruit, and can be easily split into even segments without squirting juice. This makes it convenient to eat, as utensils are not required to peel or cut the fruit.

The tangor, which is also called the temple orange, is a cross between the mandarin and the common orange. Its thick rind is easy to peel; and its bright orange pulp is sweet, full-flavored, and tart.

Some cultures world wide have different names for mandarin orange. In Vietnam, it is called quýt hồng. The most famous variety of Mandarin orange in Vietnam is grown in Lai Vung district, Đồng Tháp province and usually bears fruits on Tết holiday. In Maldives, mandarin oranges are known as Yoosuf afandhi.

Biological characteristics

Citrus fruits varieties are usually self-fertile (needing a bee only to move pollen within the same flower) or parthenocarpic (not needing pollination and therefore seedless) (such as satsumas).

Blossoms from the Dancy cultivar are one exception. They are self sterile, therefore must have a pollenizer variety to supply pollen, and a high bee population to make a good crop.

Furthermore, some varieties, notably clementines, are usually seed free, but will develop seeds if cross-pollinated with a seeded citrus. Thus, great efforts are taken to isolate clementine orchards from any seeded citrus varieties.

Medicinal uses

The dried peel of the fruit of C. reticulata is used in the regulation of ch'i in Traditional Chinese medicine
The peel is also used to treat abdominal distention, enhance digestion, and to reduce phlegm.

Production volume

The "Clemenules" (or "Nules", the Valencian town where it was born) is a variety of clementine that accounts for the great majority of clementines produced in the world. Spain alone has over 200,000 acres (800 km²), producing fruit between November and January. Mandarins marketed as tangerines are usually Dancy, Sunburst or Murcott (Honey) cultivars.

Processing

Canned mandarin segments are peeled to remove the white pith prior to canning; otherwise, they turn bitter. Segments are peeled using a chemical process. First, the segments are scalded in hot water to loosen the skin; then they are bathed in a lye solution which digests the albedo and membranes. Finally, the segments undergo several rinses in plain water.

Translation of "Mandarin orange"

Arabic: يوسفي, Bosnian: Mandarina, Bulgarian: Мандарина, Catalan: Mandariner, Czech: Mandarinka, Danish: Mandarin (frugt), German: Mandarine, Estonian: Harilik mandariinipuu, Greek: Μανταρίνι, Spanish: Citrus reticulata, Esperanto: Mandarino, Persian: نارنگی, French: Mandarine, Korean: 귤, Croatian: Mandarina, Italian: Citrus reticulata, Hebrew: מנדרינה, Haitian: Mandarin, Lithuanian: Mandarininis citrinmedis, Hungarian: Mandarin, Malay: Limau mandarin, Dutch: Mandarijn (vrucht), Japanese: マンダリンオレンジ, Georgian: მანდარინი, Norwegian (Bokmål): Mandarin (frukt), Norwegian (Nynorsk): Mandarin, Polish: Mandarynka (roślina), Romanian: Mandarin, Russian: Мандарин, Sardinian: Mandarinu, Slovak: Mandarínkovník, Slovenian: Mandarina, Serbian: Мандарина, Finnish: Mandariini, Swedish: Småcitrus, Vietnamese: Quýt hồng, Turkish: Mandalina, Ukrainian: Мандарин, Chinese: 瓯柑.