It so happened historically that it is customary to celebrate the New Year with tangerines on the festive table. Several types of these citrus fruits can be found on sale. They all have different tastes. Knowing the characteristics of the varieties and the homeland of the tangerine will help you choose delicious tangerines.
It is difficult to imagine celebrating the New Year without fragrant tangerines on the table. To choose the right variety of tangerine, it is enough to know whether it is sweet or not. The presence of bones will be the second criterion, not so important. While some might like sour tangerines
Abkhaz tangerines
Mandarins from Abkhazia are the most common on the Russian market in the pre-holiday period. They begin to sell at the end of November, half green. Closer to the holiday, you can buy ripe citrus fruits. Mandarins from Abkhazia can be either small in size or quite large. They are yellow-orange in color, the brightness of the color affects maturity. They are distinguished by a small number of bones. To taste, these tangerines are sweet, with a slight sourness, very juicy. It is worth choosing larger copies. The better the peel is peeled, the sweeter the tangerine will be. Abkhazian tangerines can be called the safest, as they are almost never treated with chemicals.
Moroccan tangerines
Mandarins from Morocco are distinguished by their bright orange color. The fruits themselves are small, have a small dent in the middle. The pulp of these tangerines is very sweet, with minimal seeds. The skin is very thin and easy to clean. It is easy to find them on sale both in the market and at large retailers. Mandarins from Morocco almost always have a black diamond-shaped sticker. Since the path from Morocco to Russia is associated with some time costs, the fruits are processed with some chemistry.
Chinese tangerines
Two varieties of tangerines are imported from China to Russia: “Shiva Mikan” and “Satsuma”. The fruits of both varieties are yellow in color and have a rough, sour taste. The fruits of the Shiva Mikan variety have a flattened shape and a brighter yellow color, while the Satsuma fruits have a bumpy relief with a large tubercle at the stalk. The skins of both varieties are thin, easy to peel, there are not many seeds. Chinese mandarins are often sold with branches and passed off as Abkhaz. To understand that you have a tangerine from the PRC in front of you is simple, it will give out a sour taste. There are many rumors about the safety of these tangerines.
Turkish tangerines
The fruits of the tangerines imported from Turkey are small in size. The color can be from yellow to light orange. The peel is thin, easy to peel, but there are many seeds. These tangerines taste sweet and sour. The brightest fruit will be the sweetest. A feature of tangerines from Turkey is considered to be a smooth, shiny rind. They are also the cheapest.
Spanish tangerines
Mandarins from Spain are considered the most expensive among all the others. The fruits of these tangerines are medium in size. They are bright orange in color, and "pores" are clearly visible on the peel. Tangerines from Spain taste sweet and sour, the pulp is juicy, and the peel is easy to peel. The main disadvantage is the large number of bones. The fruit is round, slightly flattened in shape. Tangerines with a small twig are often found on sale. The branch is left in order for the fruits to better tolerate transportation.
