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A clementine (Citrus × clementina) is a tangor, a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange (C. × deliciosa) and a sweet orange (C. × sinensis), named in honor of Clément Rodier, a French missionary who first discovered and propagated the cultivar in Algeria. 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.

They are sometimes sold under the name Easy-peelers.

History

thumb|right|Italian cultivar, Clementine del golfo di Taranto

alt=The Clementine Mural painting in Puisserguier France, representing Father Abram, founder of the Misserghin orphanage where the 1st citrus clementina was selected by brother Clement, a map of the different locations mentioned, and the citrus flowers, whole smooth fruit and some of its easy to peel separated sections.|thumb|Clementine Mural in [[Puisserguier France, celebrating Father Abram, founder of the Misserghin orphanage where the 1st citrus clementina was selected]]

The clementine is a spontaneous citrus hybrid that arose in the late 19th century in Misserghin, Algeria, in the garden of the orphanage of the French missionary brother Clément Rodier, for whom it would be formally named in 1902. 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, but these are likely distinct mandarin hybrids, 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).

Cultivation

Clementines differ from other citrus in having lower heat requirements, 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.

It was introduced into Californian 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.

Types

thumb|Seedless clementine, unpeeled and peeled

  • 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. The sweetclem has several other brand names, and can also be referred to as an easy-peeler, a clemengold, and a clemcott, amongst others.

Varieties

thumb|Spanish clementine, possibly the Fina cultivar

  • Algerian, the original Rodier cultivar.
  • 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. It produces seedless fruit that is larger than the Fina, but less sweet.
  • Clementine di Calabria, another Italian PGI variety, grown in the Calabria region.

{| class="wikitable floatright col2right" style=width:12em;

|+Production of clementines, tangerines, mandarins and satsumas* in 2016 (millions of tonnes)

|-

| || 17.2

|-

| || 7.9

|-

| || 1.3

|-

| || 1.1

|-

| || 1.0

|-

| || 1.0

|-

| World || 37.8

|-

|colspan=2 style="text-align:left;"|<small>*FAOSTAT of the United Nations, which groups these fruits together in their data</small>

|}

Nutrition

A typical 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. A follow-up study in 2019, however, has called these results into question.

See also

  • Clementine cake
  • List of foods named after people
  • Apulian Cuisine
  • List of Italian products with protected designation of origin

References