17 Interesting Facts About Tangerine

In ancient China, tangerines were considered a symbol of happiness, wealth, and longevity. That is why the Chinese, going on a visit, took several fruits as a gift to the owners, thereby showing that they wish them all the best. And the hosts, in turn, also gave tangerines to the guests before leaving. There is an assumption that the very name “mandarin”, translated from the Chinese language, means “rich man”.

1. Everyone loves seedless tangerines, but for obvious reasons, they cannot reproduce without human help. Now there are about 50 varieties of these fruits, but they all belong to cultivated plants and are not found in the wild. Most likely, sometime in time immemorial, Chinese breeders bred it.
2. A tangerine tree can grow up to 4-5 meters in height, but it takes about 30 years for it. But from one such large tree, you can collect a solid harvest, for the season it can bring up to 6000-7000 fruits, and in some cases even more.
3. Breeders actively cross tangerines not only with each other but also with other fruits. What is sold in stores often refers to just such hybrids, outwardly very similar to tangerines. Tangerines, for example, which are grown in China more than any other citrus, or clementines, which are a sweet hybrid of mandarin and bitter Seville orange.
4. Of all citrus trees, tangerine is the most resistant to cold weather. Therefore, these fruits have been grown for a long time even in the south of Russia, although winters there are too cold for most other citrus fruits. But tangerines grow well in the Caucasus, in particular, in Abkhazia and Georgia. It takes 6-8 months for the fruit to fully ripen, and the conditions there are quite suitable, the warm season lasts long enough.
5. Like other citrus fruits, tangerines are the strongest allergen. But they still have a lot of useful properties – a huge amount of vitamins, for example. For the inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere, these fruits are a valuable source of them in the winter.
6. In cold climates, tangerine trees do not survive because they are classified as evergreens. They do not shed their leaves for the winter, and therefore snow and frost kill them easily.
7. Mandarin juice is not commercially available, unlike orange juice, although the cost of these fruits is comparable. The thing is that orange juice is healthy, it retains many useful properties during processing, but tangerines lose these properties. Therefore, it makes no sense to make juice from them – it will not be useful for the body.
8. The word “mandarin” in a slightly distorted form came to the main European languages from Spanish, and in ancient China, high-ranking government officials were called mandarins, and the Chinese language in English-speaking sources is still called Mandarin. Why the fruit was named as the nobles were called – no one knows. Perhaps the fact is that once in China, only tangerine officials had the right to grow tangerine fruits in their gardens.
9. If we count all the hybrids together, it turns out that tangerines of all citrus fruits are second only to oranges in terms of the scale of the world harvest. They are grown in many countries of the world, although they came to Europe only a few centuries ago, around the time of the Napoleonic Wars.
10. Distinguishing a tasty tangerine from a tasteless one is not difficult even in a store. With prolonged storage, these fruits lose moisture and dry out, and therefore become lighter. Therefore, the heavier the tangerine, the juicier it is likely to be, and the fruits that are too light for their size are likely to be slightly dried and not very sweet.
11. Tangerines are nitrate-free. This is because fruits contain a lot of citric acids, which, due to their properties, neutralizes their harmful effects.
12. Scientists at the Mayo Clinic Science Center have found that tangerines are wonderful to cheer up. Their smell relieves anxiety and stress and charges a person with optimism.
13. Eating tangerines is a great way to recharge with vitamins. This fruit contains the same amount of vitamin C as an orange, and 3 times more vitamin A. Also, tangerines are rich in antioxidants, fiber, and bioflavonoids. Moreover, one fruit contains an average of 40 calories.
14. Don’t rush to throw away the tangerine peels! It can also be used: use it as a flavoring for drinks and desserts. But before doing this, rinse the crusts with water and vinegar to help rinse the chemicals off. Also, avoid using shiny peels, as the gloss means the fruit has been waxed.
15. How do you calculate the most acidic fruits? Very simple! They are of medium size and flattened. These are Unshiu tangerines, and if you do not like sweets, then you should opt for these fruits.
16. Mandarin oil works well against cellulite.
17. To prevent tangerines from spoiling for a long time, simple storage conditions should be observed. These citrus fruits cannot stand dryness and high temperatures, and therefore the bottom drawer of the refrigerator will be the best place for them.