Tangerine
Tangerine (lat. Citrus Tangerina) is a fruit plant belonging to the Rutaceae family, which is considered to be one of the many varieties of tangerine.
Description
Tangerine is a relatively low fruit tree with small narrow leaves and a rather dense crown.
Tangerine fruits are not much different from the well-known tangerines. Their size is much smaller than the size of oranges, and they are much easier to peel (the same can be said about dividing these fruits into slices). And tangerines are much sweeter than oranges.
A rather interesting feature of these fruits is the absence of seeds. And their reddish-orange peel is much brighter than the peel of oranges. In addition, the peel of tangerines is much thinner, but their smell is much weaker than the smell of tangerines. By the way, sometimes ripe fruits can be covered with a green peel.
The fruiting period of this crop in the Northern Hemisphere usually begins in October and ends in April.
Where does it grow
Tangerine was first cultivated in China, where it was actively cultivated on an industrial scale. And now the USA is considered the main producer of these sunny fruits, although tangerines are grown there mainly to extract oil from their peel using the cold-press method. In addition, small tangerine plantations can be found on the island of Sicily in Italy.
Application
Tangerine is mostly eaten fresh. However, it is perfectly acceptable to add it to desserts and salads. Tangerine makes delicious confitures and wonderful jam. And some gourmets even add these fruits to fish or meat dishes. Freshly squeezed tangerine juice is no less popular — it is especially loved in the USA. This fruit is often added to cocktails, as well as some other drinks. Moreover, tangerine is rightfully considered an excellent dietary product, since it has a very low calorie content (approximately 53 kcal for every 100 g). So you don’t have to worry that eating these fruits will have a negative impact on your figure.
Tangerine is an incredibly healthy fruit that contains a wide variety of essential oils (limonene, citronellols, cadinene, lianols and citrals). These bright fruits have a tonic, sedative, antispasmodic and antiseptic effect, and also significantly increase the activity of the gastrointestinal tract.
The essential oils contained in tangerine have such a strong calming effect that even doctors recommend inhaling their vapors before bed. Regular consumption of these fruits will also serve well in cases of depression, in stressful situations, as well as in cases of neuropsychic stress.
In addition, tangerine boasts a rich vitamin and mineral complex that helps normalize water and mineral balance, strengthen the immune system, heal from vitamin deficiency, make beautiful skin and hair, and strengthen teeth and bones. The fruit also contains carotene, which is vital for maintaining good vision.
This fruit is also quite widely used in the cosmetics industry. The pulp of the fruit and the oil extracted from tangerine help to quickly activate the skin”s blood flow, thereby helping to give it a healthy, natural tone. And these wonderful fruits perfectly help tighten and tone the skin, not inferior to tangerines and oranges.
Contraindications
Just like all other citrus fruits, tangerine is rich in substances that provoke allergic reactions. Because of this, these fruits are not recommended to be given to small children.
