A clementine (''Citrus × clementina'') is a
tangor
The tangor (''C. reticulata'' × ''C. sinensis'') is a citrus fruit hybrid of the mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata'') and the sweet orange (''Citrus sinensis''). The name "tangor" is a formation from the "tang" of tangerine and the "or" of ...
, a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf
mandarin orange
The mandarin orange (''Citrus reticulata''), also known as the mandarin or mandarine, is a small citrus tree fruit. Treated as a distinct species of orange, it is usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. Tangerines are a group of orange-colou ...
(
''C.'' × ''deliciosa'') and a
sweet orange
An orange is a fruit of various citrus species in the family Rutaceae (see list of plants known as orange); it primarily refers to ''Citrus'' × ''sinensis'', which is also called sweet orange, to distinguish it from the related ''Citrus × ...
(''C. × sinensis''),
named in honor of
Clément Rodier
Marie-Clément Rodier, C.S.Sp. (; born Vital Rodier; 1839–1904) was a French missionary brother in Algeria. He is credited with creating the clementine variety of mandarin orange in 1902.
Rodier was born 25 May 1839 as Vital Rodier in Malvieille ...
, a
French missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
who first discovered and propagated the
cultivar
A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...
in
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
.
The exterior is a deep orange colour with a smooth, glossy appearance. Clementines can be separated into 7 to 14 segments. Similar to
tangerine
The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of ''Citrus retic ...
s, they tend to be easy to peel. They are typically juicy and sweet, with less
acid than oranges.
Their
oils
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturate ...
, like other citrus fruits, contain mostly
limonene
Limonene is a colorless liquid aliphatic hydrocarbon classified as a cyclic monoterpene, and is the major component in the oil of citrus fruit peels. The -isomer, occurring more commonly in nature as the fragrance of oranges, is a flavoring a ...
as well as
myrcene
Myrcene, or β-myrcene, is a monoterpene. A colorless oil, it occurs widely in essential oils. It is produced mainly semi-synthetically from '' Myrcia'', from which it gets its name. It is an intermediate in the production of several fragrances. ...
,
linalool
Linalool () refers to two enantiomers of a naturally occurring terpene alcohol found in many flowers and spice plants. Linalool has multiple commercial applications, the majority of which are based on its pleasant scent (floral, with a touch of ...
,
α-pinene
α-Pinene is an organic compound of the terpene class, one of two isomers of pinene. It is an alkene and it contains a reactive four-membered ring. It is found in the oils of many species of many coniferous trees, notably the pine. It is also ...
and many complex aromatics.
History
![Clementine del golfo di Taranto IGP](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Clementine_del_golfo_di_Taranto_IGP.jpg)
The clementine is a spontaneous citrus
hybrid
Hybrid may refer to:
Science
* Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding
** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species
** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...
that arose in the late 19th century in
Misserghin
Misserghin is a city in Boutlélis District, Oran Province, Algeria. Its territory is mainly covered by a salt lake called the ''Sebkha of Oran''.
In city, the known fruit clementine were discovered by Father Clément Rodier in 1892.
Dr. Ch ...
,
Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Algiers
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, relig ...
, in the garden of the orphanage of the French Missionary Brother
Clément Rodier
Marie-Clément Rodier, C.S.Sp. (; born Vital Rodier; 1839–1904) was a French missionary brother in Algeria. He is credited with creating the clementine variety of mandarin orange in 1902.
Rodier was born 25 May 1839 as Vital Rodier in Malvieille ...
, for whom it would be formally named in 1902. Some sources have attributed an earlier origin for the hybrid, pointing to similar fruit native to the provinces of
Guangxi and
Guangdong
Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
in present-day
China,
[ ] but these are likely distinct mandarin hybrids,
and genomic analysis of the clementine has shown it to have arisen from a cross between a sweet orange (''Citrus × sinensis'') and the Mediterranean willowleaf mandarin (''Citrus × deliciosa''), consistent with Algerian origin.
There are three types of clementines: seedless clementines, clementines (maximum of 10 seeds), and Monreal (more than 10 seeds). Clementines resemble other citrus varieties such as the
satsuma Satsuma may refer to:
* Satsuma (fruit), a citrus fruit
* ''Satsuma'' (gastropod), a genus of land snails
Places Japan
* Satsuma, Kagoshima, a Japanese town
* Satsuma District, Kagoshima, a district in Kagoshima Prefecture
* Satsuma Domain, a sou ...
and
tangerine
The tangerine is a type of citrus fruit that is orange in color. Its scientific name varies. It has been treated as a separate species under the name ''Citrus tangerina'' or ''Citrus'' × ''tangerina'', or treated as a variety of ''Citrus retic ...
s.
Cultivation
Clementines differ from other citrus in having lower heat requirement, which means the tolerance to fruit maturity and sensitivity to unfavorable conditions during the flowering and fruit-setting period is higher. However, in regions of high total heat, the Clementine bears fruit early; only slightly later than satsuma mandarins. These regions such as North Africa, Mediterranean basin, and California, also favor maximizing the Clementine size and quality. As a result, the tastiest Clementines are from these hot regions.
[ ]
It was introduced into California commercial agriculture in 1914, though it was grown at the
Citrus Research Center (now part of the
University of California, Riverside
The University of California, Riverside (UCR or UC Riverside) is a public land-grant research university in Riverside, California. It is one of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The main campus sits on in a suburban distr ...
) as early as 1909.
Clementines lose their desirable seedless characteristic when they are
cross-pollinated
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, a ...
with other fruit. In 2006, to prevent this, growers such as Paramount Citrus in California threatened to sue local
beekeeper
A beekeeper is a person who keeps honey bees.
Beekeepers are also called honey farmers, apiarists, or less commonly, apiculturists (both from the Latin '' apis'', bee; cf. apiary). The term beekeeper refers to a person who keeps honey bees i ...
s to keep bees away from their crops.
Types
![Clementines (01014)s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Clementines_%2801014%29s.jpg)
* Seedless – exists in North Africa. Seedless versions of the clementine are known as the common type (seedless or practically seedless). Common Clementines are very similar to the Monreal type; the two types are virtually identical in terms of tree specifics. The seedless Clementine tree is self-incompatible; which is why the fruit has so few or no seeds. In order to be pollinated, it needs to be cross-pollinated.
* Monreal – exists in North Africa. The Monreal clementine can self-pollinate and has seeds. Monreal clementines are on average larger than the seedless variety, has a more abundant bloom and is sweeter.
* Sweetclems — are typically grown in Spain and northern Africa. Unlike other Clementine varieties, they usually have 10 slices. They are slightly smaller than "common" clementines and are probably idealized for lunchboxes. They have a sweet taste, as suggested by their name, but it is not overbearing and quite mild.
Varieties
![Mandarijn met steeltje en twee blaadjes Spanje](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Mandarijn_met_steeltje_en_twee_blaadjes_Spanje.jpg)
* Algerian, the original Rodier cultivar.
* Fina, a Spanish cultivar originally grown on a
bitter orange
Bitter orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the citrus tree ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'' and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of the world. It is probably a cross be ...
rootstock that gave it superb flavor, but due to disease vulnerability is now grown on a broader range of rootstocks, affecting the flavor profile.
* Clemenules or Nules – A popular, seedless, easy to peel clementine with a very pleasing sweet flavor. A mutation of the Fina variety, Nules is the most widely planted clementine in Spain, where it matures from mid-November to mid to late-January. Also widely planted in California, where it matures from October to December. It produces seedless fruit that is larger than the Fina, but less sweet.
* Clementine del Golfo di Taranto, a (practically) seedless Italian cultivar given
Protected geographical indication (PGI) status by the European Union, produced around the
Gulf of Taranto. They have a sweet flavour and an intense aroma.
*Clementine di Calabria, another Italian PGI variety, grown in the
Calabria region.
Production
In 2016, world production of clementines, mandarin oranges, tangerines and satsumas, reported as a group to
FAOSTAT, was 32.8 million tons, led by China with 52% of the global total (table).
Producing more than one million tons each in 2016 were Spain, Turkey, Morocco, and Egypt.
Nutrition
A clementine contains 87% water, 12%
carbohydrate
In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may or m ...
s, and negligible amounts of
fat
In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food.
The term often refers specifically to triglycerides (triple est ...
and
protein
Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...
(table). Among
micronutrients, only
vitamin C
Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...
is in significant content (59% of the
Daily Value
The Reference Daily Intake (RDI) used in nutrition labeling on food and dietary supplement products in the U.S. and Canada is the daily intake level of a nutrient that is considered to be sufficient to meet the requirements of 97–98% of healthy ...
) in a 100 gram reference serving, with all other nutrients in low amounts.
Potential drug interactions
A 2017 study indicated that clementine
phytochemicals may interact with drugs in a manner similar to those of
grapefruit.
See also
*
Clementine cake
*
List of foods named after people
This is a list of foods and dishes named after people.
A
* Poularde Adelina Patti – named for 19th-century opera singer Adelina Patti.
* Woodcock salmis Agnès Sorel – one of the dishes Agnès Sorel (1422–1450) is reputed to have ...
*
Apulian Cuisine
Apulian cuisine consists of the cooking traditions and practices of the region of Apulia in Italy. Starting from the Middle Ages the permanent residence of the nobility in the region gradually declined, which caused the disappearance of their nob ...
*
List of Italian products with protected designation of origin
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q460517
Agriculture in California
Citrus hybrids
Fruit trees
Cuisine of Apulia
Agriculture in Italy
Italian products with protected designation of origin