Clementine Oranges
Clementine Oranges: Origin And Nature
Clementine oranges are closest in nature to the tangerine, but are typically seedless. The only time that this trait is compromised is during cross pollination, but the seeds produced are often so small that they go unnoticed, or even swallowed. Clementine oranges should appear small, brilliantly orange, almost to the red side, and highly glossed on the rind. The juicy, meaty sections beneath should be easily separated one from another, giving a total of 8 to 14 sections. There should be little to no white residue on the flesh of the orange once it has been peeled, and the inner structures, or skin, should not be tough or even noticeable. Pulp, therefore, should be enjoyable and tender, making it a non-issue for even the most finicky orange lovers. Clementine oranges go by a few other names as well, and these will be discussed shortly.
The origins of Clementine oranges are somewhat disputable, as there are two very sound theories for its popularity. The first is that the good father Clement Rodier came across a strange, new type of mandarin orange tree in the garden of his orphanage in Algeria, and the delicious, seedless fruit was then named for him. There is evidence, however, that Clementine oranges had already been discovered and cultivated for hundreds of years as the Canton mandarin in certain provinces of China. Either way, the addition of this marvelous little fruit to North American culture has proven a satisfying and lucrative one indeed. So lucrative in fact that a large Californian Clementine farm sued a neighboring orange farm for the loss of crops due to bee pollination, which seeded their precious fruit and changed the value of the harvest.
Clementine oranges, though grown experimentally at a California training facility in 1909, began to take root for commercial sale in California during 1914. They have since been referred to as “winter oranges,” as they tend to ship out from the west coast between the months of November and January. They are also of major economical importance to Morocco and Spain, being a key export for these countries.
In Germany, the Clementine orange is not deciphered from a regular mandarin orange, but in Asia there are very specific guidelines to the naming of this fruit. It is not to be confused with the Satsuma, for instance, which is another name for the Japanese mikan. It is acceptable to call the Clementine by the name Algerian tangerine, however, and by any name they are still a delicacy and a refreshing addition to any diet. Available in your local supermarket between October and February, these unique oranges are packaged in wooden or cardboard crates, and are measured by the pound.