Fun Facts
- Mandarin oranges are not oranges (Citrus sinensis), and to avoid confusion are often referred to as simply “mandarins.” The name “tangerine” is used to refer to mandarins of a deep, orange-red color and is derived from a mandarin cultivar that originated in Tangier, Morocco. While the two names are used interchangeably for commercial purposes, this is botanically incorrect.
- The mandarin orange is native to southeastern Asia and the Philippines.
- In 1840, the Willow-leaf and China mandarin varieties are imported by from Italy and planted in New Orleans; varieties later travel to Florida and then California by end of 19th century.
- In 1914, Clementines are introduced to California farmers after five years of study at UC Riverside.
- Standard Mandarin is the official language of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC, also known as Taiwan), as well as one of four official languages of Singapore.
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