a mandarin by any other name

There are well over a hundred citrus varieties in the world, but they’re all descended from three ancient fruits: mandarins, citrons and pummelos. Mandarins are the ancestor of all orange varieties, citron of all lemons and limes, and pomelo of all grapefruits, but of course, there are additional inter-ancestral hybrids, too (like the Orangelo).

If you’ve picked up an orange citrus fruit and struggled with what to call it (“Clementine? Mandarin? Tangerine?”), you’re not alone. Each name has its own etymology, often distinguished by little more than preference, geographic selection and occasional misconceptions. Mandarins originated in Northern India, but then travelled to China, where they became a favorite export to other parts of the world. Tangerines are a mandarin variety named for Tangiers, Morocco. Clementines have an even more specific naming history---they’re a spontaneous hybrid found in the garden of the orphanage of French Missionary Brother Clement Rodier.

If you’re up for going down the grapefruit rabbit hole, NPR’s John Ciardi is here for you.

Whatever they’re called, we’re big fans of citrus over here, which is handy considering Zephyr Mountain Grove is home to ten different varieties, all with their own unique flavors, favorite uses and harvesting schedules.