‘Since you are all wise and knowing, I wondered if you could tell me why I can't find tangerines that taste like tangerines. I've tried all kinds of small citrus and bought many bags labeled tangerines. They may be small and have a "loose" peel, but they don't taste like tangerines, just like a sweet orange. Is there one particular variety that would taste like the tangerines of my childhood?'
Victoria Schwartz
Tucker
Let's face it. We've gone gaga over tangerines (or, more properly, mandarins, but the goddess digresses). Why do we love them? Let the gastronomic guru count the ways. They're so easy to peel, but rugged enough to stay safe if you throw them in a sports duffel for later. They conveniently break into bite-size segments without dripping sticky juice all over your hands and arms. They're the one fruit the whole family can agree on -- sweet and seedless, fitting perfectly into lunch boxes and hands of all sizes. Tangerines are the ultimate adult- and kid-friendly healthy snack. When there's that kind of demand, there's no doubt citrus growers are eager to "feed" that desire. At the height of the season, a shopper can choose between satsumas, clementines, tangelos, minneolas or dozens of different varieties labeled tangerines at the supermarket.
But unfortunately chances are, even with that huge offering, Schwartz will not be sampling her childhood favorite, the Dancy tangerine, the variety that virtually guaranteed the dependability of true “tangerine-ness.”
Peter Chaires, executive director of New Varieties Development and Management Corp., a grower-funded organization that sponsors research for the citrus industry, informed the goddess that the Dancy, which for years was the definitive tangerine with its robust flavor and color, had something consumers did not welcome -- seeds. Because of this, the demand drastically declined. It also fell victim to a plant disease, diminishing its market share even further. While the Dancy is still grown, it is hard to find at supermarkets.
So what’s a gal to do? Well, as with all things buy in season. Karen Bennett Mathis, public relations director of the Florida Department of Citrus, provided the goddess with this handy dandy chart showing the prime growing season for several varieties of tangerines that can help you navigate the bins (www.floridajuice.com/varieties.php). But most importantly talk to your produce manager and find out what’s really on the shelves and what’s worth eating. Be selective. If the fruit looks past its prime, it probably is.
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