Mandarancio

Generality

" Mandarancio " is a generic term that identifies some hybrids of citrus fruits, obtained by crossing orange and mandarin (both species belonging to the genus Citrus - NB . Orange is also a cross!).

Mandarancins are for the most part considered simple "varieties" and only some of them have acquired all the characteristics necessary to be classified as real species (essential, in this sense, is the generational conservation of physical and chemical characteristics). Mandarancio, like all other citrus fruits, is native to Asia.

Worldwide, the term "mandarancio" is not univocally interpreted; discrepancies between the classifications and linguistic distortions in the translation still make the botanical distinction of this citrus fruit quite difficult, since Europe, America and Asia provide different data between them. Only a genetic cataloging of the plants can really distinguish the mandarin oranges from other citrus species, even if currently in the USA the mandarins are part of the mandarin group.

The most common varieties of mandaranci are: clementine (in Italy) and tangerine (in America), while the oldest mandarancio is undoubtedly the unshiu or satsuma .

According to statistics, mandarin orange is the most sold citrus after the orange itself; this is attributable to the relative organoleptic and gustatory characteristics that represent the fruit of the union between: the taste of the orange, the practicality to consumption of the mandarin (peel and segments) and the average dimensions comprised between the one and the other citrus. The presence or absence of the seeds in the mandarin oranges is determined by a specific botanical selection, but it is however an extremely weak characteristic, therefore easy to alter; it is sufficient that the mandarin orange plants are cross-pollinated with other trees of the genus Citrus to give rise to fruits with seeds. In this regard, in the USA many beekeepers have been the subject of quotations and complaints from seedless mandaran farmers, who - undergoing pollination by bees in the orchards - have totally lost this characteristic by devaluing the harvest.

Nutritional characteristics

The mandarancids are fruits belonging to the VII group of foods; you can eat fresh in season (whole or squeezed), benefiting from the very high vit content. C (ascorbic acid), or preserved in the form of jam, dehydrated fruit and candied fruit (they would be significantly impoverished). The mandarantins also contain significant amounts of water, potassium and viscous fiber, and there is no shortage of medium quantities of simple sugars (fructose). They are also rich in antioxidants and their consumption is considered (by the entire category of nutrition professionals) as one of the major preventive (long-term) actions of metabolic or neoplastic diseases.

It is however necessary to specify that the mandarancies are NOT all the same; on the basis of the specific crossing, they bring more or less calories, even though they are generally more similar to oranges than to mandarins. In the following table, 4 translations will be proposed, referring to 2 types of mandaranci (identified as "mandaranci [generic]" and "clementine"), oranges and mandarins.

Nutritional values

Nutritional composition of: Mandarancio, Clementina, Orange and Mandarin - Reference values ​​of the INRAN Food Composition Tables

Nutritional translation		clementines	Clementine	oranges	Mandarins
Edible part		87, 0g	75, 0g	80, 0g	80, 0g
water		85, 3g	87, 5g	87, 2g	81, 4g
Protein		0.8g	0, 9g	0.7g	0, 9g
Lipids TOT		0.2g	0.1g	0.2g	0.3g
	Saturated fatty acids	- g	- g	- g	- g
	Monounsaturated fatty acids	- g	- g	- g	- g
	Polyunsaturated fatty acids	- g	- g	- g	- g
	Cholesterol	0, 0mg	0, 0mg	0, 0mg	0, 0mg
TOT Carbohydrates		12, 8g	8, 7g	7, 8g	17, 6g
	Starch	0.0g	0.0g	0.0g	0.0g
	Soluble sugars	12, 8g	8, 7g	7, 8g	17, 6g
Dietary fiber		2.2 g	1.2g	1.6g	1, 7g
Power		53, 0kcal	37, 0kcal	34, 0kcal	72, 0kcal
Sodium		2, 0mg	4, 0mg	3, 0mg	1.0 mg
Potassium		160, 0mg	130, 0mg	200, 0mg	210, 0mg
Iron		0.3mg	0.1mg	0.2mg	0.3mg
Football		30, 0mg	31, 0mg	49, 0mg	32, 0mg
Phosphorus		19, 0mg	18, 0mg	22, 0mg	19, 0mg
Thiamine		0, 08mg	0, 09mg	0, 06mg	0, 08mg
Riboflavin		0, 07mg	0, 04mg	0.05 mg	0, 07mg
Niacin		0, 30mg	0, 30mg	0, 20mg	0, 30mg
Vitamin A		25, 0mg	12, 0mg	71, 0mg	18, 0mg
C vitamin		37, 0mg	54, 0mg	50, 0mg	42, 0mg
Vitamin E		- mg	- mg	- mg	- mg