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Tangerine

life science Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A tangerine is a small, bright orange fruit. It belongs to the citrus family. Some people call it a variety of mandarin orange. Others say it is a hybrid. A hybrid is a mix of different plants. This fruit might mix mandarin orange with pomelo.

Hybrid origins of Citrus
Hybrid origins of Citrus

Scientists use different systems to name them. One system calls it Citrus tangerina. Another system calls it a group of mandarin varieties. These fruits are very special to eat. They are sweeter and stronger than regular oranges. They are also less sour.

Peeling a tangerine is very easy. The skin is thin and pebbly. It does not have deep grooves. There is very little bitter white material under the skin. You can often peel them with your hands. People eat the fresh fruit in salads or desserts. You can even use the peel for baking. It can be used as a fresh or dried spice. Some people drink the juice or frozen juice concentrate. The best time to find them is from autumn to spring.

The name has a long history. It comes from a place called Tangier. Tangier is a seaport in Morocco. The word originally meant "of Tangier." This was because the fruit was shipped from there. In 1710, a writer used the name in a piece called The Tatler. In the 1800s, people called it Citrus nobilis var. tangeriana. This name showed it grew in the Tangier region.

Many people helped grow these fruits in America. A man named Major Atway first grew them in Palatka, Florida. He imported them from Morocco. In 1843, he sold his groves to N. H. Moragne. This created the Moragne tangerine. This fruit led to the Dancy tangerine. The Dancy is also called a zipper-skin tangerine. It is a very popular old variety. However, it is too delicate to ship easily. It can also get a fungus called Alternaria.

China is a very important place for these fruits. In 2021, China grew 60% of the world total. This total included mandarins and clementines. The world grew 42 million tonnes of these fruits in 2021. Tangerines are mostly made of water. They are about 85% water. They also have 13% carbohydrates. They have a good amount of vitamin C. This is about 30% of the Daily Value in one serving.

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File:Hybrid origins of Citrus.svg
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