or is a yellow citrus fruit, a
cultivar
A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...
that originated as a mutation of the or . It was discovered in 1935 in
Tsukumi,
Oita Prefecture
Oita often refers to:
* Ōita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan
*Ōita (city), the capital of the prefecture
Oita or Ōita may also refer to:
Places
* Ōita District, Ōita, a former district in Ōita Prefecture, Japan
*Ōita Stadium, a multi-use stadi ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
. The original natsu mikan that served as the basis for amanatsu was found in
Yamaguchi Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Yamaguchi Prefecture has a population of 1,377,631 (1 February 2018) and has a geographic area of 6,112 Square kilometre, km2 (2,359 Square mile, sq mi). ...
around 1700.
Names
''Amanatsu'' means "sweet summer" in Japanese. In Japan, the fruit is known as , but also colloquially the ''amanatsu'', , , & .
Description
Natsumikan is about the size of
grapefruit
The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The flesh of the fruit is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark red.
Grapefru ...
and
oblate
In Christianity (specifically the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican and Methodist traditions), an oblate is a person associated with a Benedictine monastery or convent who is specifically dedicated to God and service.
Oblates are i ...
in shape. The fruit contains 12 segments and about 30 seeds. The rough textured fruit is easy to peel and is commonly eaten fresh. It is also used for wide variety of products ranging from
marmalade
Marmalade (from the Portuguese ''marmelada'') is a fruit preserves, fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange. It also has been made from lemons ...
s to alcoholic beverages.
Cultivation
Natsumikan is grown commercially in Japan, notably in
Yamaguchi,
Kumamoto
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2.
had a populat ...
and
Ehime prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Ehime Prefecture has a population of 1,334,841 and a geographic area of 5,676 km2 (2,191 sq mi). Ehime Prefecture borders Kagawa Prefecture to the northeast, Toku ...
. The city of
Hagi is famous for its natsumikans, particularly when used in natsumikan juice and ice cream.
Yamaguchi Prefecture takes such pride in their natsumikan industry that the typically white crash barriers of Japan were changed to a befitting orange.
Genetics
The natsumikan tree is believed to be genetically derived from the
pomelo
The pomelo ( ; or pummelo, ''Citrus maxima''), also known as a shaddock, is the largest citrus fruit. It is an ancestor of several cultivated citrus species, including the bitter orange and the grapefruit. It is a natural, non-hybrid citrus fr ...
(''Citrus grandis'' or ''Citrus maxima'').
Medicine
Researchers found that immature natsumikan peel is beneficial for the treatment of
chronic allergic
Allergies, also known as allergic diseases, are various conditions caused by hypersensitivity of the immune system to typically harmless substances in the environment. These diseases include hay fever, food allergies, atopic dermatitis, alle ...
dermatitis
Dermatitis is a term used for different types of skin inflammation, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened ...
in mice.
Gallery
File:Citrus kawanonatsudaidai.jpg, The large bearing tree.
File:Citrus-natsudaidai.jpg, Locally at Nagato, Yamaguchi
270px, Ōmijima coast
270px, Rice terraces in Yuya
270px, Misuzu Kaneko Memorial Museum
is a city in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 31,518 in 15537 households and a population density of 88 persons per ...
.
File:Gardens with natsumikans in hagi.jpg, At street side in Hagi, Yamaguchi
file:Hagicity aerialshot.jpg, 270px, Aerial view of central Hagi
is a Cities of Japan, city located in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 43,233 in 22,803 households and a population density of 62 persons per k ...
.
File:Amanatsu trees on Nokonoshima Island.JPG, On Nokonoshima Island.
File:Citrus natsudaidai Melanose.jpg, Blossoms.
File:Natsudaidai.JPG, On tree.
File:Kusune Citrus natsudaidai.JPG, Fruit.
See also
*
Citrus tristeza virus
''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes.
''Citrus'' is native to S ...
*
Daidai
*
Japanese citrus
Japanese citrus fruits were first mentioned in the ''Kojiki'' and ''Nihonshoki'', compiled in the 700s, and the ''Man'yōshū'' and ''Kokin Wakashū'', poetry anthologies compiled in the 700s and 900s, mention the Tachibana orange as a subject ...
*
Mikan
''Citrus unshiu'' is a semi-seedless and easy-peeling citrus species, also known as the satsuma mandarin or Japanese mandarin. During the Edo period of Japan, kishu mikans were more popular because there was a popular superstition that eating '' ...
References
Further reading
Natsudaidai at the
Citrus Variety Collection
{{Taxonbar, from=Q453563
Citrus
Citrus hybrids
Japanese fruit
Taxa named by Bunzō Hayata