A clementine (Citrus × clementina) or easy peeler (British English) is a tangor,

a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange (C. × deliciosa) and
a sweet orange (C. × sinensis),[1][2][3] named for its late 19th-century
discoverer.[4] The exterior is a deep orange colour with a smooth, glossy
appearance. Clementines can be separated into 7 to 14 segments. Similar to
tangerines, they tend to be easy to peel. They are typically juicy and sweet,
with less acid than oranges.[4] Their oils, like other citrus fruits, contain mostly
limonene as well as myrcene, linalool, α-pinene and many complex
aromatics.[5]

Clementine

Five clementines whole, peeled, halved and sectioned

Species Citrus × clementina

Hybrid parentage Mandarin orange × sweet orange

History

Italian cultivar, Clementine del golfo di

Taranto

The clementine is a spontaneous citrus hybrid that arose in the late 19th
century in Misserghin, Algeria, in the garden of the orphanage of Brother
Clément Rodier, for whom it would be formally named in 1902.[6][7][8] Some
sources have attributed an earlier origin for the hybrid, pointing to similar fruit
native to the provinces of Guangxi and Guangdong in present-day China,[9] but
these are likely distinct mandarin hybrids,[10] and genomic analysis of the
clementine has shown it to have arisen from a cross between a sweet orange
(Citrus × sinensis) and the Mediterranean willowleaf mandarin (Citrus ×
deliciosa), consistent with Algerian origin.[1][2]

There are three types of clementines: seedless clementines, clementines

(maximum of 10 seeds), and Monreal (more than 10 seeds). Clementines
resemble other citrus varieties such as the satsuma and tangerines.[11]

Cultivation

Clementines differ from other citrus in having lower heat requirement, which
means the tolerance to fruit maturity and sensitivity to unfavorable conditions
during the flowering and fruit-setting period is higher. However, in regions of
high total heat, the Clementine bears fruit early; only slightly later than
satsuma mandarins. These regions such as North Africa, Mediterranean
basin, and California, also favor maximizing the Clementine size and quality.
As a result, the tastiest Clementines are from these hot regions.[12]

It was introduced into California commercial agriculture in 1914, though it

was grown at the Citrus Research Center (now part of the University of
California, Riverside) as early as 1909.[12] Clementines lose their desirable
seedless characteristic when they are cross-pollinated with other fruit. In
2006, to prevent this, growers such as Paramount Citrus in California
threatened to sue local beekeepers to keep bees away from their crops.[13]

Types

Seedless - exists in North Africa. Seedless versions of the clementine are

known as the common type (seedless or practically seedless). Common
Clementines are very similar to the Monreal type; the two types are virtually
identical in terms of tree specifics. The seedless Clementine tree is self-
incompatible; which is why the fruit has so few or no seeds. In order to be
pollinated, it needs to be cross-pollinated.[12]

Monreal - exists in North Africa. The Monreal clementine can self-pollinate

and has seeds. Monreal clementines are on average larger than its seedless
variety and has a more abundant bloom and is sweeter.[12]

Varieties
 Spanish clementine, possibly the Fina
cultivar

Algerian, the original Rodier cultivar.[14]

Fina, a Spanish cultivar originally grown on a bitter orange rootstock that gave
it superb flavor, but due to disease vulnerability is now grown on a broader
range of rootstocks, affecting the flavor profile.[14]

Clemenules or Nules - A popular, seedless, easy to peel clementine with a very

pleasing sweet flavor. A mutation of the Fina variety, Nules is the most widely
planted clementine in Spain, where it matures from mid-November to mid to
late-January. Also widely planted in California, where it matures from October
to December.[15] It produces seedless fruit that is larger than the Fina, but less
sweet.[14]

Clementine del Golfo di Taranto, a (practically) seedless Italian cultivar given

Protected geographical indication (PGI) status by the European Union,
produced around the Gulf of Taranto.[16] They have a sweet flavour and an
intense aroma.[17]

Clementine di Calabria, another Italian PGI variety, grown in the Calabria

region.[18]

Production of clementines, tangerines, mandarins and satsumas* in 2016

Country (millions of tonnes)

   China 17.2

   Spain 7.9

   Turkey 1.3

   Morocco 1.1

   Egypt 1.0

   Brazil 1.0

World 37.8

*FAOSTAT of the United Nations, which groups these fruits together in their
data[19]
Production

In 2016, world production of clementines, mandarin oranges, tangarines and

satsumas, reported as a group to FAOSTAT, was 32.8 million tons, led by
China with 52% of the global total (table).[19] Producing more than one million
tons each in 2016 were Spain, Turkey, Morocco, and Egypt.[19]

Nutrition
 Clementines

Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)

Energy 198 kJ (47 kcal)

Carbohydrates 12.02 g

Sugars 9.18 g

Dietary fiber 1.7 g

Fat 0.15 g

Protein 0.85 g

Vitamins Quantity %DV†

Thiamine (B1) 0.086 mg 7%

Riboflavin (B2) 0.030 mg 3%

Niacin (B3) 0.636 mg 4%

Pantothenic acid (B5) 0.151 mg 3%

Vitamin B6 0.075 mg 6%

Folate (B9) 24 μg 6%

Choline 14 mg 3%

Vitamin C 48.8 mg 59%

Vitamin E 0.20 mg 1%

Minerals Quantity %DV†

Calcium 30 mg 3%

Copper 0.043 mg 2%

Iron 0.14 mg 1%

Magnesium 10 mg 3%

Manganese 0.023 mg 1%

Phosphorus 21 mg 3%

Potassium 177 mg 4%

Selenium 0.1 μg 0%

Sodium 1 mg 0%

Zinc 0.06 mg 1%

Other constituents Quantity

 Water 86.58 g

Entry in USDA Database

Units

μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams

IU = International units

†
Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database

A clementine contains 87% water, 12% carbohydrates, and negligible amounts

of fat and protein (table). Among micronutrients, only vitamin C is in
significant content (59% of the Daily Value) in a 100 gram reference serving,
with all other nutrients in low amounts.

Potential drug interactions

A 2017 study indicated that clementine phytochemicals may interact with

drugs in a manner similar to those of grapefruit.[20]

See also

Clementine cake

List of foods named after people

Apulia#Cuisine

List of Italian products with protected designation of origin

References

1. Shimizu, Tokurou; et al. (2016). "Hybrid Origins of Citrus Varieties Inferred

from DNA Marker Analysis of Nuclear and Organelle Genomes". PLOS ONE. 11
(11): e0166969. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0166969 .

2. Wu, GA; et al. (2014). "Sequencing of diverse mandarin, pummelo and orange
genomes reveals complex history of admixture during citrus domestication" .
Nature Biotechnology. 32 (7): 656–662. doi:10.1038/nbt.2906 .
PMC 4113729 . PMID 24908277 .

3. Barkley, NA; Roose, ML; Krueger, RR; Federici, CT (2006). "Assessing genetic
diversity and population structure in a citrus germplasm collection utilizing
 simple sequence repeat markers (SSRs)" . Theoretical and Applied Genetics.
112 (8): 1519–1531. doi:10.1007/s00122-006-0255-9 . PMID 16699791 .

4. Edible: An Illustrated Guide to the World's Food Plants . National Geographic.

2008. p. 73. ISBN 978-1-4262-0372-5.

5. Ziegler, Herta (2007). Flavourings: production, composition, applications,

regulations . Wiley, John & Sons, Incorporated. p. 203. ISBN 978-3-527-
31406-5.

6. Trabut, J. L. (1902). "L'hybridation des Citrus: une nouvelle tangérine "la

Clémentine" " . Revue Horticole. 74: 232–234.

7. Bretó, M. P.; Ruiz, C.; Pina, J.A.; Asíns, M.J. (2001). "The Diversification of
Citrus clementina Hort. ex Tan., a Vegetatively Propagated Crop Species".
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 21 (2): 285–293.
doi:10.1006/mpev.2001.1008 .

8. Laszlo, Pierre (2007). Citrus: a history. University of Chicago Press. pp. 23–24.

9. Saunt, James (January 1, 2000). Citrus Varieties of the World (2nd ed.).
Sinclair International Business Resources. ISBN 978-1-872960-01-2.

10. Nosowitz, Dan (23 February 2016). "Your Guide to Everyone's Favorite Winter
Citrus: Clementines" . smithsonianmag.com. Smithsonian Institution.
Retrieved 15 March 2018.

11. "Clementines" . Fruits info.com. Retrieved 15 March 2018.

12. Hodgson, Richard Willard (1967). "Horticultural Varieties of Citrus" . The

Citrus Industry (Revised ed.). University of California, Riverside, Division of
Agricultural Sciences. Archived from the original on March 8, 2008.
Retrieved February 14, 2009.

13. "Calif. Beekeepers Fear No-Fly Zones" . KATU.com. Associated Press.

December 2, 2006. Retrieved July 17, 2010.

14. David Karp (2012-12-30). "Farmers Markets: How to be choosy with

clementines" . Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2018-07-30.

15. "Nules clementine" . Citrus Variety Collection. College of Natural and

Agricultural Sciences, University of California Riverside. Retrieved 19 February
2015 – via citrusvariety.ucr.edu.

16. "CLEMENTINE DEL GOLFO DI TARANTO IGP" .

17. "Qualigeo.eu" .
18. Hicham Benabdelkamel; Leonardo Di Donna; Fabio Mazzotti; Attilio
Naccarato; Giovanni Sindona; Antonio Tagarelli; Domenico Taverna (2012).
"Authenticity of PGI "Clementine of Calabria" by Multielement Fingerprint". J.
Agric. Food Chem. 60 (14): 3717–3726. doi:10.1021/jf2050075 .

19. "Clementine production* in 2016, Crops/Regions/World list/Production

Quantity (pick lists)" . UN Food and Agriculture Organization, Corporate
Statistical Database (FAOSTAT). 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2018.

20. Theile, Dirk; Hohmann, Nicolas; Kiemel, Dominik; Gattuso, Giuseppe; Barreca,
Davide; Mikus, Gerd; Haefeli, Walter Emil; Schwenger, Vedat; Weiss, Johanna
(15 January 2017). "Clementine juice has the potential for drug interactions –
In vitro comparison with grapefruit and mandarin juice". European Journal of
Pharmaceutical Sciences. 97: 247–256. doi:10.1016/j.ejps.2016.11.021 .

Last edited 1 month ago by OAbot