Mandarin oranges are the easiest oranges to eat. This favorite fruit of so many has been popular all over the world for centuries. Here’s some Mandarin orange trivia.
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Mandarins are believed to have gotten their start 3000 years ago in India as a wild plant, and quickly made their way throughout Asia. They were introduced to England by China in 1805, and got their name from the form of Chinese that was spoken by the officials who brought the fruit to England. New Orleans is where the United States first saw Mandarin oranges. They were brought in from Italy in the 1840s.
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The peel not only comes off easily, often in one piece, but it also has a valuable oil that is used to flavor many commercial confectionary staples like ice cream, liquor, and soft drinks.
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Tangerines and Mandarins are not exactly the same fruit, but instead, Tangerines are a sub type of Mandarin that comes from Tangier, Morocco.
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On Christmas morning, some folks have a tradition of mandarins in their stockings, which appears to have started in Canada, where the fruit was only available in December. But there’s even more reasons for the oranges in the stocking tradition. Check out what the Kitchn has to say about the tradition.
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Each Mandarin has 99mg of vitamin C, which is 165% of RDA. And since we rarely eat just one, snacking on Mandarin oranges may just be the easiest way to get your vitamin C (great for helping us grow, heal, and prevent disease)!
