What is the difference between a clementine, tangerine, and mandarin?

Answer 1

A clementine is the fruit of a variety of mandarin (Citrus reticulata), named in 1902. The traditional story is that it was "originally an accidental hybrid said to have been discovered by Father Clément Rodier in the garden of his orphanage in Misserghin, Algeria." However, there are claims it originated in China much earlier. James Saunt writes: "Some authorities believe it is virtually identical to the variety known as the Canton mandarin widely grown in Gwangxi and Guangdong Provinces in China." In Arabic, it is called "Kalamintina".

The clementine is not always distinguished from other varieties of mandarin: in German, it is generally referred to as "Mandarine" and in Japanese, mikan. However, it should not be confused with similar fruit such as the satsuma, another popular variety. The clementine is occasionally referred to as Algerian tangerine.

A clementine is an oblate, medium-sized fruit. The exterior is a deep orange colour with a smooth, glossy appearance. Clementines separate easily into eight to twelve juicy segments.

This variety was introduced into California commercial agriculture in 1914, though it was grown at the Citrus Research Center at the University of California, Riverside as early as 1909. Clementines, usually grown in Morocco and Spain, have been available in Europe for many years. A market for them in the United States was created recently, when the harsh 1997 winter in Florida devastated domestic orange production, increasing prices and decreasing availability. California clementines are available from mid-November through January; this availability has them referred to in some areas as "Christmas Oranges".

Clementines lose their desirable seedless characteristic when bees cross-pollinate them with other fruit. In early 2006 large growers such as Paramount Citrus in California threatened to sue local beekeepers for their bees' trespass into clementine crop land.

The Tangerine (Citrus reticulata) is an orange or red colored citrus fruit, a type of mandarin orange.

They are smaller than most oranges, and the skin of some varieties peels off more easily. The flavor is often more sour and more sweet than that of an orange.

Good quality tangerines will be firm to slightly hard, heavy for their size and pebbly-skinned with no deep grooves, also orange in color. Peak tangerine season is short, lasting from November to January in the Northern Hemisphere.

The Honey tangerine, which was originally called a murcott, is very sweet as its name suggests. Other popular kinds include the Sunburst and Fairchild tangerines.

One of the oldest varieties is the Dancy tangerine, once the most popular type, but no longer widely grown.The Dancy was known as the zipper-skin tangerine and as the kid-glove orange for its loose, pliable peel. Its peak season is December, so children often received one in their Christmas stockings.

Tangerine flavor is used in bottled juice or gatorade soft drinks, and the fresh fruit can be used in salads, desserts and main dishes. It is, however, most commonly eaten out of hand. Tangerines are a good source of vitamin C, folate and beta-carotene. They also contain some potassium, magnesium and vitamins B1, B2 & B3.

The number of seeds in each segment (carpel) varies greatly (up to 59).

Historically the name tangerine comes from Tangier, Morocco, the port from which the first tangerines were shipped to Europe. The adjective tangerine, from Tangier or Tanger, was already an English word (first recorded in 1710).

A popular alternative to tangerines are Clementines, which are also a variant of the mandarin orange.

There are also several musical references to tangerines, of which the most famous are by The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and, obviously, the German band Tangerine Dream. The Flaming Lips make reference to the fruit in their hit song "She Don't Use Jelly". There is also a young rock band simply called Tangerine, based in Haarlem, The Netherlands. Regina Spektor Makes references to Tangerines in her song 'That Time'.

The Mandarin orange or mandarin is a small citrus tree (Citrus reticulata) with fruit resembling the orange. The fruit is oblate, rather than spherical, and roughly resembles a pumpkin in shape. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. Specifically reddish orange mandarin cultivars can be marketed as a tangerine, but this is not a botanical classification.

The tree is more tolerant to drought than the fruit. The mandarin is tender and is damaged easily by cold. It can be grown in tropical and subtropical areas.

Answer 2

At this time of the year it’s hard to avoid the exciting world of satsumas, tangerines, clementines* and mandarins. As I believe Eddie Izzard once pointed out there is a big fight going on in the world of fruit at the moment and it’s being fought right here between the oranges and these smaller things. But what are these smaller things and how do you tell the difference between them? Well I’m sure you’ve wondered (but I suppose if you haven’t and aren’t interested yet then maybe you’d like to stop reading now?) what the differences are. Well the first important thing is to realise that there isn’t such a thing as a mandarin. Well there is, but there isn’t. Mandarin is the name for the whole group. So a satsuma is a mandarin, a tangerine is a mandarin etc. But if somebody says, “oh would you like this mandarin” then they are being less specific. But it’s is the important safety word. Because this means that you’re basically able to get away with calling any of them mandarins and you’re okay, this would not be true if you were to pick any of the other names in the list. So down to the nitty gritty. Tangerines are basically one of the pure varieties of Mandarin’s. They’re basically your bog standard. They usually have seeds in them too. The name comes from Tangier in Morocco where most of the fruit was at one point imported into Europe. Then you’ve got your Clementines. These are similar to Tangerines, but they have been cross bred with another fruit called a Pomerans. This results in a seedless fruit. The big nightmare for people making Clementines is that it’s very easy for them to get their seeds back. And all it takes is a few bees poking around to cross them with another fruit and ruin your entire crop. And a Satsuma is basically another type of seedless mandarin, which is actually a cross between a tangerine and a mandarin orange. This was done by a guy called Philip Satsuma** using cuttings from a kumquat plant. In fact there are millions of varieties, because they are relatively easy to cross with other things. The rangpur is a cross between a tangerine and a lemon for example. And to further complicate things different countries “market” these fruits under different names. So in America for example you might find satsumas and clementines both being called clementines. And in Japan the satsuma is most often called the Mikan. But in Britian you’re most likely to be eating a satsuma if somebody offers you something with no pips, and in the states you’d be most likely eating a clementine. But if you have pips in there in any country then it’s probably a tangerine. But if you’d rather play it safe then just call them all mandarins and be done with it.

Answer 3

Tangerines and Clementines are both varieties of Mandarins.

Answer 4

Good question... Personally.. I don't remember seeing clementines in the stores until recently.. To me, they are the best.. easy to peel and taste great..Tangerine's are a close second.. and mandarin's I seldom eat..I'll eat an orange first.