Clementines are the most common type of mandarin oranges in stores, very sweet and easy to peel. Tangerines are bright orange and less sweet. However, tangerines, clementines, and satsumas are all different types of mandarin oranges. People often use the words mandarin, tangerine, clementine, and satsuma interchangeably. Mandarin oranges contain much fewer seeds as opposed to sweet oranges. The endocarp of both fruits is separated into segments. Sweet orange usually has a thick rind, and inside, there is the white and bitter mesocarp, whereas the rind of mandarin orange is much thinner and the lesser amount of mesocarp makes it much easier to peel. As the ancestor of sweet oranges, mandarins have naturally been around for longer. The taste is often sweeter than that of an orange. Mandarin oranges visually differ from oranges by their size and shape, being smaller and less round.

Sweet oranges are the most popular type of citrus in the world. The first mention of sweet orange in history was recorded in Chinese literature in 314 BC (1). It is assumed that orange is a hybrid between pomelo and mandarins. Belonging to the same Rutaceae family and Citrus genus, they do have a lot in common however, they have their differences too. Oranges and mandarin oranges may seem like two different sizes of the same fruit.

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