Atway was said to have imported them from Morocco (more specifically its third-largest city Tangier), which was the origin of the name. Tangerines were first grown and cultivated as a distinct crop in the Americas by a Major Atway in Palatka, Florida. See also: Mandarin varieties Tangerine production – 2021 Country tangeriana' which grew in the region of Tangiers. The adjective was applied to the fruit, once known scientifically as ' Citrus nobilis var. Fresh tangerine juice and frozen juice concentrate are commonly available in the United States.Īccording to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the word 'tangerine' was originally an adjective meaning 'Of or pertaining to, or native of Tangier, a seaport in Morocco, on the Strait of Gibraltar' and 'a native of Tangier.' The OED cites this usage from Addison's The Tatler in 1710 with similar uses from the 1800s. The peel is used fresh or dried as a spice or zest for baking and drinks. The fresh fruit is also used in salads, desserts and main dishes. Tangerines are most commonly peeled and eaten by hand. Peak tangerine season lasts from autumn to spring. All of these traits are shared by mandarins generally. The peel is thin, with little bitter white mesocarp. A ripe tangerine is firm to slightly soft, and pebbly-skinned with no deep grooves, as well as orange in color. The taste is considered less sour, as well as sweeter and stronger, than that of an orange. Tangerines are smaller and less rounded than the oranges. The term is also currently applied to any reddish-orange mandarin (and, in some jurisdictions, mandarin-like hybrids, including some tangors).

Under the Swingle system, tangerines are considered a group of mandarin ( C. Under the Tanaka classification system, Citrus tangerina is considered a separate species. The name was first used for fruit coming from Tangier, Morocco, described as a mandarin variety. It is a group of orange-colored citrus fruit consisting of hybrids of mandarin orange varieties, with some pomelo contribution. Citrus tangerina is also treated as a synonym of Citrus deliciosa. It has been treated as a separate species under the name Citrus tangerina or Citrus × tangerina, or treated as a variety of either Citrus reticulata, the mandarin orange, or Citrus × aurantium, the bitter orange. The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color.

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