Probably indigenous to Southeast Asia, tangerine culture spread westward along trade routes as far as the Mediterranean.
Though the ancestral mandarin was bitter, most commercial mandarin strains derive from hybridization with pomelo, which give them a sweet fruit. The mandarin has also been hybridized with other citrus species, such as the desert lime and the kumquat. Tangerines contain more vitamin A than oranges, though oranges are lower in calories and higher in vitamin C and fiber. Either fruit can be a nutritious, low-calorie addition to your diet. What’s healthier orange or tangerine?īoth tangerines and oranges provide a good variety of nutrients, including potassium, thiamin and folate. Along with folate, potassium, fiber and many phytonutrients, citrus fruits are antioxidant, anti-allergenic, anti-carcinogenic and anti-inflammatory. Are tangerines anti-inflammatory?Ĭompounds known as limonoids remain active for extended periods. Citrus you may find in your FruitGuys box include blood oranges, Pixie tangerines, navel oranges, Minneola tangelos, and other goodies. Seeds are used to grow the rootstock but the seedless variety can be grafted on to it. There are no genetically engineered citrus fruits. You also have the option of juicing tangerines to make freshly-squeezed tangerine juice.Ī clementine (Citrus × clementina) is a tangor, a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange (C. Tangerines are easy-to-peel citrus fruits similar to oranges and make for good snacks or additions to salads. It is a group of orange-colored citrus fruit consisting of hybrids of mandarin orange varieties, with some pomelo contribution. Like oranges, tangerines are members of the citrus family, but they are the fruit of the C. In the 1800s, they received the name “tangerine” because they were imported through the city of Tangier in Morocco. Tangerines were first grown in Palatka, Florida. What is the difference between mandarins and tangerines?.