Mandarins are the ancestor of the group, while clementines, tangerines, satsumas, and even your everyday oranges are all part of the mandarin family. It’s also the most tender and easily damaged type of mandarin.ĭid you notice anything interesting about the list above? It’s a semi-seedless variety that originated in the Satsuma province of Japan and is considered to be one of the sweetest citrus fruits. Satsuma: This mandarin-pomelo hybrid has a higher proportion of pomelo in its genome than other types of mandarins.The loose, leathery skin makes it much easier to peel than most other mandarin hybrids. It is super sweet and seedless and has a very thin rind and pith. Clementine: This is the smallest type of mandarin orange and a couple of them can fit in the palm of your hand.It’s generally more tangy than a mandarin, and has a characteristic “nipple” at the stem. So, you can see where its name comes from. Tangelo: This distinctive fruit is on the larger side of all the small oranges, and is believed to be a hybrid of a Citrus reticulata variety (such as tangerine or mandarin) and a Citrus maxima variety (such as pomelo or grapefruit).They have slightly tougher skins, and their flavor is a little less sweet. Sometimes, you’ll find tangerine-grapefruit hybrids labeled and sold as tangerines as well. Tangerine: Tangerines refer to a group of several distinct mandarin-pomelo hybrids.They also have thinner and looser skins that make them easier to peel. (Yes, it’s the grandmother!) Mandarins are typically smaller and sweeter than oranges, with a slightly flattened shape. Mandarin: This is an original species of orange from where the common orange descended.It’s believed to be a hybrid of a pomelo and a mandarin orange. Orange: Also known as a common orange or sweet orange (these are the navel, Valencia, and blood oranges you see in stores), this fruit has a thick rind, bitter pith, and sweet-tart flesh.There are many different types of orange citrus fruits, so let’s take a look at the main ones below. The way we typically use the term “orange” refers to the large, round, sweet fruit we know and love, but botanically speaking, an orange is the fruit of various citrus species in the family Rutaceae.

A cutie orange