Pulp Non-Fiction

October 27, 2022

A Brief History

If puns “a-peel” to you, you are in for a treat. This blog is all about oranges, mandarins, and the various hybrids; oh my! Did you know that citrus is one of the oldest fruits on Earth? A long, 8,000 years ago, the citrus ancestors–mandarin and pomelo– were documented in history. Ancient globalization and exploration spread citrus from China, Southeast Asia, and India to Japan, Arabia, Jerusalem, North Africa, western Mediterranean lands, and England before reaching the Americas. The image above shows the genetic make-up of the fruits we enjoy today. The modern-day orange is 62.5% mandarin, and the remainder is pomelo. And a mandarin is not an orange. But what about the tangerine, clementine, satsuma, tangelo, and sumu varieties? Apparently, these are hybrids of the mandarin. Mandarins are smaller than an orange, and the fruits have loose easy-to-peel skin. There are approximately 200 varieties of mandarins and 400 varieties of oranges cultivated in the world today.

Why you need citrus?

History documents the powerful health and nutritional benefits of citrus. For instance, citrus fruits were valued by explorers with long sea voyages afflicted with scurvy, a hemorrhagic disease. The sour and sweet oranges provided the sailors the much-needed Vitamin C. Unfortunately, the human body does not produce Vitamin C, and their diet of salted meat, hard biscuit, lentils, and ale did not incorporate this nutrient. Many of the sailors suffered from swollen gums and lost their teeth. Purple blotches covered their skin, eventually becoming gangrenous, leading to their death. Today, scientists list why Vitamin C is essential in collagen and protein synthesis, which are important in developing and maintaining connective tissue, wound healing, promoting healthy gums, and bone formation. Vitamin C also protects the immune system from infections and can reduce the severity of allergic reactions. Furthermore, Vitamin C plays a significant metabolic role in converting cholesterol to bile acids which can thwart the formation of gallstones and maintain normal blood cholesterol levels. (The nurse in me digresses.)

Vitamin C in the Fruit

Research shows that orange has a higher Vitamin C content than grapefruit. You can check out the nutritional chart. And here’s more interesting information on sumu,  tangelo, clementines, and tangerines from Healthline.com.

Fruit	Daily Value of Vitamin C
Sumu 235g	163%
Orange 100g	89%
Clementine 75g	60%
Tangelo 1 medium (average weight 100g)	45%
Tangerine 100g	44%
Satsuma 1 fruit (average weight 90g)	30%

But wait, there’s a surprising fun fact about citrus peels. Did you know that as much as 75% of Vitamin C content is in the peel of citrus fruits? And, the peels contain flavonoids (anticancer compounds). So, instead of throwing away the peel, try the zest in your favorite dishes or drinks, and dehydrate the mandarin peels to flavor soups or stews. This is rind blowing!

Harvest Season

Citrus farmed in places with cooler nights have a higher Vitamin C than those grown in tropical locations. Interestingly, oranges harvested late in the season have lower concentrations of Vitamin C. And, the longer the fruit hangs on the tree, the lower the Vitamin C level.

Fruit	Start	End
Navel	November	May
Tangerine	November	March
Clementine	November	January
Satsuma	November	January
Tangelo	December	March
Blood Orange	December	March
Cara Cara	December	April
Sumu	January	April
Valencia	April	June

Acid Content

You might love to eat oranges and mandarins, but your stomach and teeth may suffer from the acid content. Here’s the research; see the table below for comparison. For scale, a pH of 1 is highly acidic, and 14 is highly alkaline. A pH of 7 is neutral. Incidentally, the Lima orange grown in Brazil is valued for the least amount of acid of the citrus fruits.

Fruit	pH
Lemon	2.3
Lime	2.4
Grapefruit	3.38
Tangerine	3.9
Orange	4.3
Mandarin	11.5

Sour Oranges

The other type of oranges is classified as sour or bitter. These are Seville, Chinotto, Bergamot, and Bouquet de Fleur. The high acid content of these oranges and their bitter oils do not make them ideal for fresh consumption. Instead, the Seville oranges are used to make marmalades, salad dressings, sauces, and flavoring in beers. The extract from the Bergamot orange is used in Earl Grey and in perfume making. The Italians and French use Chinotto in making preserves, marmalades, liqueur, and soft drinks. Lastly, the Bouquet de Fleur is prized for its flower scent that is used to make neroli oil for perfumes and aromatherapy. The Chinotto and Bouquet de Fleur can also be used as ornamental plants for the home.

GFL Peel of Approvals

Fruits

1. Orri Tangerine, Peru PLU# 4055: The Orri was first bred in Israel. The fruit is also grown in Peru. It is a small fruit with soft, thin skin, that is easy to peel. Orri is seedless with very juicy and sweet taste. The pith is loose and easily removed, and the membrane between 12 segments is thin. It is fragrant with a good sweet to acid balance. This is our family favorite, and 2 lbs. of it can quickly disappear in a day! The only complaint about the Orri is that it is hard to find, the demand is high, and the wait time to restock could be a couple of weeks. Keep your eyes peeled for this unicorn tangerine.

2. Satsuma Tangerine, USA PLU # 3029: Bought small to medium-sized fruits with the stem and leaf, making them look like they were just picked from the tree. These are so beautiful to look at and make a lovely gift during the holidays, especially during the Lunar New Year. The satsuma’s peel is soft and leathery and gives off citrus oil on your fingers that have a pleasant fragrance. The fruit is very sweet and juicy with few to no seeds. The acid content balances the sweetness of the fruit, giving it a well-rounded flavor. The pith is moderate but easily removed, and the membrane between the 9-12 segments can be tough. However, I could eat 3 of these snacks in one sitting.

3. Sumu Mandarin, USA PLU # 3652: Large-sized fruit with a thick leathery peel that is very easy to remove. The seedless fruit is very juicy and sweet, with a hint of tartness. The pith and the membrane between the 10-11 segments are both thin. These are available in the market in January and are pricey. Apparently, it takes about 5 years from seed to fruit-bearing, and the fruit is very delicate, which requires hand-picking and hand-packing. However, Trader Joe’s sells the fruit at a better price than most other places. Because of the cost, eating one of these delicacies is a treat.

4. Clementine, Halos, California, netted bag. The appeal for me is the small size which makes it convenient to grab a few and go. The thin, smooth skin is easy to peel. The pith is moderate, and the membrane between the segments is thick. Depending on the size, it can have between 7-10 segments. Some of the fruits have a few seeds, while some do not. The tangy flavor is balanced with a honey-like sweetness. Because they come in a package, it is not easy to discern the freshness of the individual fruits, as some in the bag were close to drying out, feeling light in weight, and the peel sticks to the flesh. However, if you are thinking of what you can do with your bounty of clementines, try out this Clementine and Garlic Roast Turkey just in time for Thanksgiving.

5. Blood orange, Dracula, Australia PLU # 4381. The color of this fruit on the outside tells you what you could expect when it’s peeled. If you don’t have nails, you may need a sharp knife to slice off the top of the thick peel. If you are peeling it with your nail, start from the side, which is less thick than the top. There is a spray of the fruit when you peel it that is fragrant. This is medium-sized, and it feels heavy with juice inside. When you open it, the pith is moderate, and the membrane between the 10-12 segments is thin. The flesh is very juicy with a slightly bitter-sweet taste that is pleasant. An interesting write-up about this fruit is the hint of raspberry taste. However, I was not able to detect this nuance. This Australian Dracula variety is available from August to the end of October. They are ideal to have for Halloween.

6. Cara Cara navel orange, Chile PLU # 3110. This looks like a navel orange outside, but the inside pulp is like a ruby red grapefruit due to the lycopene (antioxidant) content. The skin is thick, like the navel orange, and has a floral scent. The pith is spongy, and the membrane between the 10-12 segments is thin. The flesh is sweet, juicy, with minimal acidity, and seedless. Because the color is so beautiful, you might try your baking skills to make this yummy orange cardamom olive oil cake and impress your family and friends. You’ll be the star baker!

Pampering Fragrances

Something about the smell of orange peels is soothing for me. To support this personal experience, read this PubMed study that validates that orange aromatherapy decreases tension and promotes a tranquil state. Here are a few of my go-to home and body fragrances.

1. Lafco Orange Blossom Absolute is the perfect gift. The fragrance is from the sweet white flowers of Moroccan bitter orange trees. And the beautiful hand-blown glass container can be reused as a vase or planter in your home or office. The 15.5 oz candle, made almost entirely of soy wax, has a burn time of 90 hours.

2. Diptyque Oranger has been a perennial favorite for my home. The sophisticated scent is the concentration of the orange tree–the bark, leaves, zest, and juice. It comes in a clear hand-blown glass size of 6.7 oz. The candle is made from Diptyque’s secret blend of vegetable and paraffin waxes with a burn time of 60 hours. Scent-sational!

3. Nest Sicilian Tangerine is a delicious and exotic citrus scent from Sicilian tangerine, bergamot, mango, and passionfruit. The 8.1 oz candle is poured into a frosted striped glass with a burn time of 50-60 hours. It is made from a proprietary cosmetic grade paraffin wax. This is a splendid gift to bring to the next holiday party.

4. Jo Malone Orange Blossom Body Crème is a luxurious indulgence of mine. It makes a beautiful gift to anyone special in your life. It has cocoa butter and almond oil to keep your skin moisturized. When you first apply the fragrance, you get that soothing clementine flower top note, and then the white lilac emerges. The dry-down scent is orriswood, which is the root of the iris. Isn’t it intriguing?

5. Molton Brown Hand Lotion is a gorgeous scent combo of neroli, mandarin, and Sevillian orange in Shea butter. The fragrance opens with sweet orange, then the middle note of neroli blossoms lingers, and the dry down is musk scent.

6. Loccitane Verbena Mandarin Hand Cream is rich in Shea butter. The scent is delicate and soothing scent of green verbena is layered with the sweetness of mandarin orange. This is a excellent stocking stuffer.

Foods & Drinks

You might consider making a lovely citrus-inspired gift basket with the following yummy finds.

1. Jacques Torres Chocolate Covered Orange Peels comes in a beautiful NYC Big Apple box.

2. Scyavuru Sicilian Blood Orange Marmalade is packaged in a set of two, one to keep for you!

3. Kuze Fuku Orange Marmalade is made in Oregon using an old Japanese recipe.

4. Lurisia Chinotto Sparkling Citrus Beverage is a refreshing classic citrus spice soft drink.

5. Angostura bitters and Peychaud’s are two of my favorites orange bitters. Try either in your cocktail or sparkling water.

6. Cointreau Noir is 70% Cointreau orange liqueur and 30% Remy Martin cognac. Need I say more? It has a velvety smooth balance of bitter and sweet taste and has the aroma of almond, spice, and vanilla.

7. Minute Mimosa Sugar Cube Trio infused with arcadia orange, lemon, and grapefruit is a beautiful surprise to a glass of bubbly. Drop a cube and watch the pieces of fruit float to the top, adding a delightful flavor. Cheers.

GFL: Orange You Glad