Tangerine Definition

• Tangerines do not have a strict botanical or horticultural definition. Certain varieties of mandarin oranges that have a deep orange-red hue may be designated tangerines. They are easy to peel, sweet flavored, smaller than "true" oranges, and are usually in season during the winter months.

Clementine Definition

• Clementines are, essentially, a variety of tangerine that has been bred to be seedless. Clementines come into season just before Christmas; in recent years many have been marketed under the brand name Cuties.

Clementine History

• Clementines are named by the French botanist Louis Trabut after a monk named Clement Rodier who tended an orchard in Algeria. The actual origin of the fruit, however, is Chinese. The fruit was introduced to the United States in 1909 under the "clementine" label, and the name has stuck.

Tangerine History

• The name "tangerine" derives from the Moroccan port city of Tangiers. The term reveals the history of the fruit in Europe and North America; originally, they were introduced from orchards in North Africa, although similar fruits are now known to have grown for centuries in China and Japan.

Relatives and Imposters

• Tangerines and clementines are both considered varieties of mandarin oranges, but fruit sold under the mandarin label, notably the Satsuma variety, are usually paler in color and have looser peels than either tangerines or clementines. Botanically, however, there is slight difference. Honey oranges are another type of tangerine. Tangelos, another close relation, are typically larger and have a distinctive knob on the stem end. Tangelos are a cross between grapefruits and mandarins.