Would you like a Tangerine or Mandarin or Mandalina?

Tangerine, also known as Mandarin and Mandalina in Turkish is this very tasty citrus fruit, bigger than lemon and smaller than orange that come out especially in autumn and right now Bodrum is sparkling with orange lights from tangerine trees. It is grown on a citrus tree, Citrus reticulata, cultivated for its small edible orange-like fruits. End of October to November is the time for Tangerines. They especially smell and taste best picked right off the tree which I had the pleasure to experience this past week with some friends. See pictures.

What was interesting to find out that Tangerine also means a native of inhabitant of Tangier and it has originated in 1842, from tangerine orange  (1841) "an orange from Tangier,"  seaport in northern Morocco, from which it was originally imported to Britain. The place name is from L. Tinge . As a color name, attested from 1899. On the other hand, Mandarin which is supposed to be the same fruit is also known to have originated in China since Mandarin is the Northern Chinese dialect, spoken in and around Beijing and some places its called an Asian citrus fruit bearing lance-shaped leaves and flattish, orange-yellow to deep-orange loose-skinned fruit, some varieties of which are called tangerines. In the Chinese Empire, Mandarin was a member of any of the nine ranks of public officials, each distinguished by a particular kind of button worn on the cap. My favorite meaning: Mandarin is a person of standing and influence, as in literary or intellectual circles. So they all resemble each  other, possibly Morocco and China had some similar citrus trees that produced similar fruits and they were dispersed into our world in variety of kinds known as Tangerines and Mandarines and Mandalina.
And more interestingly and a quite amusing find is that there are about 18 varieties of Mandalina in Turkey which include names such as Nova, Okitsu, Satsuma, Ankor, Clemantin, Yerli, Fairchild, Minneola, Marisol and Ovari. Wow! Who thought of the name Ovari for a Tangerine:)) Hey would you like an Ovari?..:) Apparently, they originated in Japan in 1878 and I think the ones we picked and I'm eating right now are also Ovari kind and Satsuma kind, because this website says the Satsuma is very common in Aegean region of Turkey and they are in the same group as Ovari and both are seedless. Some great info in this Turkish website about citrus fruits, the varieties and where they come from and more: http://www.turuncgiller.com/

Well, in terms of nutritional value (of course I have to mention this since I am a Dietitian after all:)), these juicy fruits are a rich source of Vitamin A, which is important for eye, and skin health and it helps protect you from cancer. They're also good source of potassium, good source of vitamin C, which helps protect you from infections, helps to keep your skin smooth, heals wounds and cuts and helps to renew your red blood cells and repair them, and are good sources of soluble and insoluble fiber important for a healthy digestion and bowel. And 1 Tangerine is only 37 Calories! So you can eat many in confidence and increase the nutritional benefits. (Of course there can be slight variation in nutritional quality depending on if they are organic, which soil it grew with and what environment it grew in which is true for all foods we consume by the way!). Oh! Almost forgot, don't forget to get organic, you don't want to poison yourself do you, instead of protecting yourself with vitamins to fight the flu season! They also stay well in room temperature. If you have a yard full of these trees or actually they are like bushes, small trees, and can't possible eat them all before they fall of the trees or are bitten by worms or bugs you can try to add them to your cooking...For example, try to add peeled slices into salads, or vegetable dishes such as mixing it with cooked green beans and olive oil. You can peel the thin inside membrane or skin as well when adding to dishes but I recommend try it all natural, just peel the outside soft orange skin and pull apart the segments and add the segments to your dish. The skin and the inside membrane is full of fiber, both soluble and insoluble. You can eat the outside skin as well, you can cut it into small cubes and use it in marmalade or jelly making or in a marinade or you can zest it and add pieces of the skin to salads or dishes too.

Have a delicious and Tangy month:)