Tangerine

Tangerine, also known as citrus tangerina, is closely related to mandarin orange.

The first grown tangerines were in Palatka, Florida, in the year 1800s. It was named “tangerines” because they were imported from Tangier, a city in Morocco.

Tangerine’s peak season is from late October to January. Since tangerines are seasonal fruits, they are often considered in demand during the peak months and are somehow pricey.

At a glance, tangerines look a lot like oranges, only that they are smaller than the common oranges. 

They are famous because of the solid and sweet flavor. They have a reputation for generally being sweeter than oranges but are also sometimes sour-sweet.

Types of Tangerines

Clementines

This type produces a small, sweet, and seedless variety of tangerines. 

Also known as the Algerian Tangerine, the skin covering of the clementines is thinner than regular tangerines. They also have sweet-tasting juice that is used in cooking dishes and making marmalades.

Clementines are also healthy snacks that are easy to peel, sweet, and seedless. This makes it a perfect snack choice for kids or an addition to a lunchbox or breakfast.

Temples

Also known as the Royal Mandarin, temples are a hybrid fruit result of crossbreeding an orange and a tangerine.

Dancy

Dancy tangerine fruits began as one of the oldest and most popular citrus varieties in the US. It has a flavorful taste, easy-to-peel, and fun snack for the whole family.

Tangor

Tangor is another type of hybrid tangerine. They are tiny and a mix of traditional mandarin and sweet orange. They are also seedless and sweet.

Sunburst

Sunburst tangerines are distinct because of the strong flavor and appearance. Unlike the usual tangerines, sunbursts are very dark orange with an intense, sweet taste.

Mandarin Tangerines

This type of tangerine comes in several kinds, with clementines being the most popular. Among the other kinds of mandarin tangerines are the following:

• Chinese Honey Mandarin
• Willow Leaf
• Pixie
• Encore
• Kara
• Honey
• Kinnow
• Wilking

Health Benefits

Tangerines are rich in vitamin C, with a moderate amount of vitamin A.

A 100 grams serving of tangerine provides approximately 14% of the daily recommended vitamin A intake.

Nutritional Facts

A medium-sized tangerine usually weighs around 88 grams and contains the following:

• Calories: 47
• Protein: 0.7 grams
• Fat: 0.3 grams
• Carbohydrates: 12 grams
• Fiber: 1.6 grams
• Sugar: 9.3 grams

Skin Glow

Vitamin C is one key to having healthy skin. This is because it helps in the production of collagen that makes skin glow. It can also prevent and treat skin damage caused by sun exposure.

Eye Health

Tangerine also aids in ensuring healthy eyesight. It can help to delay the onset of cataracts and age-related macular degeneration in adults.

Heart Health

Aside from giving that youthful glow and healthy eyesight, tangerines are also good for the heart. A five-year study of more than 500,000 adults showed that eating this once a day may significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.