This mouth fruit is easily blushed and eaten as it is. Fresh and chopped, its bark decorate fruit salads, poultry, fish …
by
Perfume jewel of winter, common mandarin, or Citrus Deliciosa, often harvesters until the beginning of spring. Cultivated in China for millennia, it is likely to hold its names of the Mandarins, who particularly appreciated it – unless it is a reference to the bright color of the dresses of these senior officials of the old Chinese empire.
Arrival in Europe at the beginning of the XIX e century, it quickly spread and has been very cultivated on all the Mediterranean around, before being supplanted by the clementine, softer and containing Less seeds, from a natural hybridization between mandarin and sweet orange. Often confused with the latter, the mandarin has an incomparable aroma, and its essential oil is very sought after in perfume.
This fruit is slightly flattened, with a skin little orange yellow from a medium-sized tree, spread and carone free. His close cousins are the big King Mandarin (Citrus Nobilis), also called Indochine Mandarin, the Citrus Reticulata, who include small hybrids (Tangerine, Tangelo …), and Mandarin Satsuma (Citrus Unshiu), native to Japan and very early (often one of the first citrus fruits on the stalls). Little caloric, mandarin is rich in vitamin C, folic acid, carotene and soft fiber.
The pulp
From the size of a small fist, mandarin is a mouth fruit that is easily swing up and eaten as it is. Fresh, its juicy and tart districts decorate and refreshing a cake, pie, a salad and make a delicious juice (to be combined with other citrus fruits). Cooked at the syrup, confit or whole roast, even ice frosted lemon way, it lends itself to all kinds of gourmet confections.
The skin
The skin of mandarin must be kept: it is the most fragrant of the bark. Fresh and chopped, it decorates fruit salads, cakes, poultry, fish, drinks. Dried, it can be crushed and preserved for aromatize marinades and boil over time, unless you are burned to divinely flavor the house.