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A mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), often simply called mandarin, is a small, rounded
citrus ''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 nativ ...
tree
fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants (angiosperms) that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which angiosperms disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particular have long propaga ...
. Treated as a distinct species of orange, it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. The mandarin is small and oblate, unlike the roughly spherical sweet orange (which is a mandarin- pomelo hybrid). The
taste The gustatory system or sense of taste is the sensory system that is partially responsible for the perception of taste. Taste is the perception stimulated when a substance in the mouth biochemistry, reacts chemically with taste receptor cells l ...
is sweeter and stronger than the common orange. A ripe mandarin orange is firm to slightly soft, heavy for its size, and pebbly-skinned. The peel is thin and loose, with little white mesocarp, so they are usually easier to peel and to split into segments. Hybrids have these traits to lesser degrees. The mandarin orange is tender and is damaged easily by cold. It can be grown in tropical and subtropical areas. According to genetic studies, the wild mandarin was one of the original citrus species; through breeding or natural hybridization, it is the ancestor of many hybrid citrus cultivars. With the citron and pomelo, it is the ancestor of the most commercially important hybrids (such as sweet and sour oranges, grapefruit, and many lemons and limes). Though the ancestral mandarin orange was bitter, most commercial mandarin strains derive from hybridization with the pomelo, which gives them sweet fruit.


Etymology

The name ''mandarin orange'' is a
calque In linguistics, a calque () or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation. When used as a verb, "to calque" means to borrow a word or phrase from another language ...
of Swedish ''mandarin apelsin'' Sina''), meaning ''Chinese apple''">Names_of_china_.html" ;"title="'apelsin'' from German ''Apfelsine'' (''Apfel'' + ''Names of china ">Sina''), meaning ''Chinese apple'' first attested in the 18th century. The Imperial Chinese term "mandarine" was first adopted by the French for this fruit. The reason for the epithet is not clear. ''Citrus reticulata'' is from Latin, where reticulata means "netted".


Description


Tree

''Citrus reticulata'' is a moderate-sized tree some in height. The tree trunk and major branches have thorns. The leaves are shiny, green, and rather small. The petiole (botany) ">petioles are short, almost wingless or slightly winged. The flowers are borne singly or in small groups in the leaf-axils. Citrus are usually self-fertile (needing only a bee to move pollen within the same flower) or parthenocarpic (not needing pollination and therefore seedless, such as the Satsuma (fruit) , satsuma). A mature mandarin tree can yield up to of fruit.


Fruit

Mandarin orange fruits are small . Their color is orange, yellow-orange, or red-orange. The skin is thin and peels off easily. Their easiness to peel is an important advantage of mandarin oranges over other citrus fruits. Just like with other citrus fruits, mandarin is separated easily from the segments. The fruits may be seedless or contain a small number of
seed In botany, a seed is a plant structure containing an embryo and stored nutrients in a protective coat called a ''testa''. More generally, the term "seed" means anything that can be Sowing, sown, which may include seed and husk or tuber. Seeds ...
s. Though the ancestral mandarin orange was bitter, most commercial mandarin strains derive from hybridization with pomelo, which gives them sweet fruit. They can be eaten as whole or squeezed to make juice. A ripe mandarin orange is firm to slightly soft, heavy for its size, and pebbly-skinned. The peel is thin and loose, with little white mesocarp, so they are easy to peel and to split into segments.


Evolution


Origins

The wild mandarin is one of the pure ancestral citrus
taxa In biology, a taxon (back-formation from ''taxonomy''; : taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular name and ...
; they evolved in a restricted region of South China and
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
.


Domestication

Mandarins appear to have been domesticated at least twice, in the north and south Nanling Mountains, derived from separate wild subspecies. Wild mandarins are still found there, including Daoxian mandarines (sometimes given the species name ''Citrus daoxianensis'') as well as some members of the group traditionally called 'Mangshan wild mandarins', a generic grouping for the wild mandarin-like fruit of the Mangshan area that includes both true mandarins (''mangshanyeju'', and Supplement the southern subspecies) and the genetically distinct and only distantly-related Mangshanyegan. The wild mandarins were found free of the introgressed pomelo (''C. maxima'') DNA found in domestic mandarins. Still, they did appear to have small amounts (~1.8%) of introgression from the ichang papeda, which grows wild in the same region. The Nanling Mountains are home to northern and southern genetic clusters of domestic mandarins that have similar levels of sugars in the fruit compared to their wild relatives but appreciably (in some almost 90-fold) lower levels of citric acid. The clusters display different patterns of pomelo introgression, have different deduced historical population histories, and are most closely related to distinct wild mandarins, suggesting two independent domestications in the north and south. All tested domesticated cultivars belong to one of these two genetic clusters, with varieties such as Nanfengmiju, Kishu, and Satsuma from the northern domestication event producing larger, redder fruit, while varieties such as Willowleaf, Dancy, Sunki, Cleopatra, King, and Ponkan belong to the smaller, yellower-fruited southern cluster.


Taxonomy

The Tanaka classification system divided domestic mandarins and similar fruit into numerous species, giving distinct names to cultivars such as willowleaf mandarins (''C. deliciosa''), satsumas (''C. unshiu''), tangerines (''C. tangerina''). Under the Swingle system, all these are considered to be varieties of a single species, ''Citrus reticulata''. Hodgson represented them as several subgroups: common (''C. reticulata''), Satsuma,
King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
(''C. nobilis''), Mediterranean (willowleaf), small-fruited (''C. indica'', ''C. tachibana'' and ''C. reshni''), and mandarin hybrids. In the genomic-based species taxonomy of Ollitrault et al., only pure wild type mandarins would fall under ''C. reticulata'', while the pomelo admixture found in the majority of mandarins would cause them to be classified as varieties of the hybrid bitter orange, ''C. aurantium''. Genetic analysis is consistent with continental mandarins representing a single species, varying due to hybridization. An island species, '' Citrus ryukyuensis'' that diverged 2 to 3 million years ago when cut off by rising sea levels, was found on
Okinawa Island , officially , is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu Islands, Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of the five Japanese archipelago, main islands of Japan. The island is ...
. Its hybridization with the mainland species has produced unique island cultivars in Japan and Taiwan, such as the Tachibana orange the Shekwasha, and Nanfengmiju. They have some pomelo DNA, like all domesticated mandarins. Northern and southern domesticates contain different pomelo contributions. An 'acidic' group including Sunki and Cleopatra mandarins likewise contain small regions of introgressed pomelo DNA; they are too sour to eat, but are widely used as rootstock and grown for juice. Another group, including some tangerines, satsuma, and king mandarins, show more pomelo contribution. Hybrid mandarins thus fall on a continuum of increasing pomelo contribution with clementines, sweet and sour oranges, and grapefruit. and Supplement


Production

In 2022, world production of mandarin oranges (combined with tangerines, clementines, and satsumas in reporting to FAOSTAT) was 44.2 million
tonne The tonne ( or ; symbol: t) is a unit of mass equal to 1,000  kilograms. It is a non-SI unit accepted for use with SI. It is also referred to as a metric ton in the United States to distinguish it from the non-metric units of the s ...
s, led by China with 61% of the global total. Spain produced 1.8 million tonnes in 2022, with
Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
,
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, and
Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
as other significant producers.


Uses


Nutrition

A mandarin orange contains 85% water, 13%
carbohydrate A carbohydrate () is a biomolecule composed of carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O) atoms. The typical hydrogen-to-oxygen atomic ratio is 2:1, analogous to that of water, and is represented by the empirical formula (where ''m'' and ''n'' ...
s, and negligible amounts of fat and
protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residue (biochemistry), residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including Enzyme catalysis, catalysing metab ...
(table). Among micronutrients, only
vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits, berries and vegetables. It is also a generic prescription medication and in some countries is sold as a non-prescription di ...
is in significant content (32% of the Daily Value) in a 100-gram reference serving, with all other nutrients in low amounts.


Culinary

Mandarins have a stronger and sweeter taste than sweet oranges. Mandarins are peeled and eaten fresh or used in salads, desserts and main dishes. Fresh mandarins are used in the production of the
liqueur A liqueur ( , ; ) is an alcoholic drink composed of Liquor, spirits (often rectified spirit) and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-age ...
Mandarine Napoléon. The peel is used fresh, whole or as zest, or dried as chenpi. It can be used as a spice for cooking, baking, drinks, or candy.
Essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the ...
from the fresh peel may be used as a flavouring for candy, in gelatins, ice cream,
chewing gum Chewing gum is a soft, cohesive substance designed to be chewed without being swallowed. Modern chewing gum is composed of gum base, sweeteners, softeners/plasticizers, flavors, colors, and, typically, a hard or powdered polyol coating. Its tex ...
, and baked goods. It is used as a flavouring in some liqueurs. File:Cinpi2 (cropped).jpg, Dried mandarin peel used as a seasoning File:Chocolate coated citrus peel 01.jpg,
Chocolate Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans that can be a liquid, solid, or paste, either by itself or to flavoring, flavor other foods. Cocoa beans are the processed seeds of the cacao tree (''Theobroma cacao''); unprocesse ...
-coated
citrus ''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 nativ ...
peel File:Fresh Fruit Dessert.jpg, Mandarins in a fresh fruit salad File:Galler Mandarine Napoléon Lait split (22567613826).jpg, Chocolate flavoured with Mandarine Napoléon


Cultural significance

In North America, mandarins are commonly purchased in 5- or 10-pound boxes, individually wrapped in soft green paper, and given in Christmas stockings. This custom goes back to the 1880s when Japanese immigrants in Canada and the United States began receiving Japanese mandarin oranges from their families back home as gifts for the New Year. The tradition spread among the non-Japanese population and eastwards across the country: each November harvest, "The oranges were quickly unloaded and shipped east by rail. 'Orange Trains' – trains with boxcars painted orange – alerted everyone along the way that the irresistible oranges from Japan were back again for the holidays. For many, the arrival of Japanese mandarin oranges signalled the beginning of the holiday season." Satsumas were grown in the United States from the early 1900s. Still, Japan remained a major supplier. U.S. imports of these Japanese oranges was suspended due to hostilities with Japan during World War II. While they were one of the first Japanese goods allowed for export after the end of the war, residual hostility led to the rebranding of these oranges as "Mandarin" oranges instead of "Japanese" oranges. The delivery of the first batch of mandarin oranges from Japan in the port of
Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
is greeted with a festival that combines Santa Claus and Japanese dancers—young girls dressed in traditional kimonos. Historically, the Christmas fruit sold in North America was mostly Dancys, but now it is more often a hybrid. This Japanese tradition merged with European traditions related to the Christmas stocking.
Saint Nicholas Saint Nicholas of Myra (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), also known as Nicholas of Bari, was an early Christian bishop of Greeks, Greek descent from the maritime city of Patara (Lycia), Patara in Anatolia (in modern-day Antalya ...
is said to have put
gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...
coins into the stockings of three poor girls so that they would be able to afford to get married. Sometimes the story is told with gold balls instead of bags of gold, and oranges became a symbolic stand-in for these gold balls, and are put in Christmas stockings in Canada. Their use as Christmas gifts probably spread from the Japanese immigrant community. Mandarin oranges are mentioned in Sinclair Ross' 1942 novel, '' As for Me and My House'', and his 1939 short story, ''Cornet at Night''.


See also

*
List of citrus fruits This is a list of citrus fruits: Common group names * Japanese citrus * Lime (fruit), Lime ** Australian lime * Lumia (citrus), Lumia * Orange (fruit), Orange * Papeda (citrus), Papeda * Sweet lemon Citrus species Citron Clymenia ...
* Tangerine


References


External links

{{Authority control Citrus Fruits originating in Asia Christmas food Sinterklaas food Fruit trees Flora of China Flora of Japan Flora of Vietnam