Citrus unshiu is a seedless and easy-peeling
citrusCitrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of the world. The most well known examples are the orange, the lemon, the grapefruit, and the lime. The Latin word citrus was borrowed from ancient Greek kedros...
mutantA mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not found in the wild type. The natural...
of Chinese origin, but introduced to
the WestWestern culture refers to cultures of European origin.The term "Western culture" is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and technologies...
via
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. In Japan, it is known as
unshu mikan (Japanese: 温州蜜柑,
unshū mikan). In China, it is known as
Wenzhou migan . The Japanese name is a result of the local reading of the same characters used in the Chinese, the name meaning "Honey Citrus of Wenzhou" in both languages.
Citrus unshiu is a seedless and easy-peeling
citrusCitrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of the world. The most well known examples are the orange, the lemon, the grapefruit, and the lime. The Latin word citrus was borrowed from ancient Greek kedros...
mutantA mutant is an individual, organism, or new genetic character arising or resulting from an instance of mutation, which is a base-pair sequence change within the DNA of a gene or chromosome of an organism resulting in the creation of a new character or trait not found in the wild type. The natural...
of Chinese origin, but introduced to
the WestWestern culture refers to cultures of European origin.The term "Western culture" is used very broadly to refer to a heritage of social norms, ethical values, traditional customs, religious beliefs, political systems, and specific artifacts and technologies...
via
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. In Japan, it is known as
unshu mikan (Japanese: 温州蜜柑,
unshū mikan). In China, it is known as
Wenzhou migan . The Japanese name is a result of the local reading of the same characters used in the Chinese, the name meaning "Honey Citrus of Wenzhou" in both languages. It is also often known as "Seedless
mandarinThe Mandarin orange, also known as mandarin or mandarine, is a small citrus tree with fruit resembling other oranges. The fruit is oblate, rather than spherical. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain, or in fruit salads...
" or as a
satsuma.
Its fruit is sweet and usually seedless, about the size of other
mandarin orangeThe Mandarin orange, also known as mandarin or mandarine, is a small citrus tree with fruit resembling other oranges. The fruit is oblate, rather than spherical. Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain, or in fruit salads...
s (
Citrus reticulata), smaller than an orange. One of the distinguishing features of the satsuma is the distinctive thin, leathery skin dotted with large and prominent oil glands, which is lightly attached around the fruit, enabling it to be peeled very easily in comparison to other citrus fruits. The satsuma also has particularly delicate flesh, which cannot withstand the effects of careless handling. The uniquely loose skin of the satsuma, however, means that any such bruising and damage to the fruit may not be immediately apparent upon the typical cursory visual inspection associated with assessing the quality of other fruits. In this regard, the satsuma is often categorised by citrus growers as a hit-and-miss citrus fruit, the loose skin particular to the fruit precluding the definitive measurement of its quality by sight and feel alone.
The Chinese and Japanese names reference
WenzhouWenzhou is a major city in southeastern Zhejiang province of the People's Republic of China. The prefecture under its jurisdiction, which includes 2 satellite cities and 6 counties, had a population of 7,645,700 in 2007. About 1,423,600 residents live in Wenzhou's city proper...
, a city in the
ZhejiangZhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
Province of China known for its citrus production. However, it has also been grown in
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
since ancient times, and the majority of cultivars grown in
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
today were cultivated in Japan and reverse-introduced into China in modern times.
ClementineA clementine is the hesperidium of a variety of mandarin orange , named in 1902. A clementine is an oblate, small citrus fruit. The exterior is a deep orange colour with a smooth, glossy appearance. Clementines separate easily into eight to fourteen juicy segments. They are very easy to peel, like...
s are not the same variety as the unshiu or satsuma mandarin.
History
The
mikan originates from
WenzhouWenzhou is a major city in southeastern Zhejiang province of the People's Republic of China. The prefecture under its jurisdiction, which includes 2 satellite cities and 6 counties, had a population of 7,645,700 in 2007. About 1,423,600 residents live in Wenzhou's city proper...
, a city in
ZhejiangZhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
province in
ChinaChina is a cultural region, an ancient civilization, and, depending on perspective, a national or multinational entity extending over a large area in East Asia....
. Recorded cultivation of the "
Wenzhou Migan" date back some 2400 years. It was listed as a tribute item for Imperial consumption in the
Tang DynastyThe Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
. The best record of the cultivation of this variety in ancient China is from the
Jijia Julu , written by Han Yan, the governor of the region and published in 1178
http://www.wznm.com/cpzs.asp?id=32. This book records the various citrus varieties then grown in
WenzhouWenzhou is a major city in southeastern Zhejiang province of the People's Republic of China. The prefecture under its jurisdiction, which includes 2 satellite cities and 6 counties, had a population of 7,645,700 in 2007. About 1,423,600 residents live in Wenzhou's city proper...
, cultivation, pest control, storage, and processing of each variety.
The
mikan was introduced to
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by the Buddhist monk Chie , who passed through
WenzhouWenzhou is a major city in southeastern Zhejiang province of the People's Republic of China. The prefecture under its jurisdiction, which includes 2 satellite cities and 6 counties, had a population of 7,645,700 in 2007. About 1,423,600 residents live in Wenzhou's city proper...
on his way back from
Wutai MountainMount Wutai , also known as Wutai Mountain or Qingliang Shan, located in Shanxi, China, is one of the Four Sacred Mountains in Chinese Buddhism. The mountain is home to many of China's most important monasteries and temples...
. This was further developed into new cultivars, with one mutation recorded as early as 1429
http://www.mikan.gr.jp/sisetu/siryoukan/rekisi/hyou.html.
In 1916, a number of Japanese cultivars were introduced to
WenzhouWenzhou is a major city in southeastern Zhejiang province of the People's Republic of China. The prefecture under its jurisdiction, which includes 2 satellite cities and 6 counties, had a population of 7,645,700 in 2007. About 1,423,600 residents live in Wenzhou's city proper...
. These, and new cultivars developed from them, now dominate orchards in Wenzhou. The traditional centre of
mikan production in
WenzhouWenzhou is a major city in southeastern Zhejiang province of the People's Republic of China. The prefecture under its jurisdiction, which includes 2 satellite cities and 6 counties, had a population of 7,645,700 in 2007. About 1,423,600 residents live in Wenzhou's city proper...
is in the town of Wushan, in the
Ouhai DistrictOuhai District is a ward of the Wenzhou urban area , in the prefecture-level city of Wenzhou . It is an outlying district of Wenzhou urban area .It has a population of 386,000 and occupies 614.5 km²....
of
WenzhouWenzhou is a major city in southeastern Zhejiang province of the People's Republic of China. The prefecture under its jurisdiction, which includes 2 satellite cities and 6 counties, had a population of 7,645,700 in 2007. About 1,423,600 residents live in Wenzhou's city proper...
.
Export to the West
In 1876 during the
Meiji periodThe , or Meiji era denotes the period in Japanese history during the 45-year reign of the Meiji Emperor . During this time, Japan began its modernization and rose to world power status...
,
mikan were brought to the United States from the
Satsuma Provincewas an old province of Japan that is now the western half of Kagoshima Prefecture on the island of Kyūshū. Its abbreviation is Sasshū .During the Sengoku Period, Satsuma was a fief of the Shimazu daimyo, who ruled much of southern Kyūshū from their castle at Kagoshima city.In 1871, with the...
in
Kyūshūor Kyushu is the 3rd-largest island of Japan and most southwesterly of its four main islands. Its alternate ancient names include Kyūkoku , Chinzei , and Tsukushi-no-shima...
,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
by a spouse of a member of the U.S. Embassy. While the species originates from Japan, it does not originate from the Satsuma Province in particular. The towns of
Satsuma, AlabamaSatsuma is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 5,687. It is a part of the Mobile metropolitan statistical area.-Geography:Satsuma is located at .According to the U.S...
, Satsuma, Florida,
Satsuma, TexasSatsuma, also known as Ashford and as Thompson Switch, is on U.S. Highway 290 ten miles southeast of Cypress in the dairying and farming area of northwestern Harris County, Texas. In 1910 J. T...
and
Satsuma, LouisianaSatsuma is a town in Louisiana. It owes its origin to the very necessary US Post Office Department rule which does not permit two post offices in the same state to have the same name. Satsuma is located on US Hwy...
were named after this fruit. By 1920
Jackson CountyJackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. The population as of the 2000 census was 46,755. As of 2005, the population was 48,985 . Its county seat is Marianna, Florida.- History :...
in the Florida Panhandle had billed itself as the "Satsuma Capital of the World." However, the commercial industry was wiped out during a very cold period in the late 1930's. It has been planted in colder locations, because of its cold-hardiness and because colder weather will sweeten the fruit. A mature satsuma tree can survive down to –9.5°C (15°F) for a few hours. Of the edible citrus varieties, only the
kumquatThe kumquats or cumquats are a family of small fruit-bearing trees in the flowering plant family Rutaceae, in the genus Fortunella which is often included in the genus Citrus...
is more cold-hardy. Satsumas rarely have any thorns, an attribute that also makes them popular. They can be grown from seed, which takes about 8 years until the first fruits are produced, or grafted onto other citrus rootstocks, trifoliate orange being one of the most popular.
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