Mandarin and Clementine: The Differences

Tangerines and clementines look very similar from the outside. You only notice the differences when you peel them. We explain to you what distinguishes the two citrus fruits from each other.

Differences between tangerines and clementines

Although tangerines and clementines are related, they are two different fruits. You can’t tell them apart from the outside, but there are differences:

• The skin: The skin of the clementine is thicker than that of the tangerine. This ensures that clementines can be stored longer and are less sensitive to cold. After two months they are still juicy, tangerines have dried out after two weeks.
• Flesh: There are hardly any differences in taste between the two fruits, but the flesh of the tangerine is intensely orange in color, while that of the clementine is more yellow-orange.
• Segments: Mandarins always have exactly nine segments, clementines have eight to twelve.
• Seeds: Clementines have fewer seeds than a tangerine, often none at all.
• Origin: Mandarins originally come from China. They have been grown there for around 3,000 years. The name goes back to the Mandarins. The clementine is a cross between a tangerine and a bitter orange. It is probably named after the French monk Clément, who grew it in a garden in Algeria about 100 years ago.
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