Satsuma orange

In fact, satsuma is nothing more than one of the varieties of mandarin that belongs to the genus Citrus. This fruit is distinguished by a thin peel that can be easily removed, a soft juicy core and a rich yellow-orange color. The homeland of satsuma is the Far East, or rather China, but the plant was brought to European countries from Japan - there they pay special attention to the cultivation of this fruit. By the way, in the Land of the Rising Sun, satsuma is called Mikan.

Satsuma mandarin is a small evergreen tree with a rather spreading crown. In open ground, the height of the plant reaches 2-3 meters, and at home the tree grows much more modestly - only up to one and a half meters. Slightly drooping satsuma branches are distinguished by the absence of spines and smooth green bark. Dark dense leaves of slightly elongated oval shape with strongly protruding veins narrow to the apex. The life cycle of each sheet is 2-4 years.

Usually satsuma blooms in May, spreading numerous inflorescences, which are collected in groups of 4-6 pieces. Snow-white flowers differ in an oblong shape and they form on last year's short branches. Interestingly, the fruits of the samtuma are tied without pollination - in a mature state they are characterized by a slightly rounded shape and appearance like an ordinary mandarin.

Satsuma fruits are distinguished by a very sweet taste and almost complete absence of seeds. However, the soft delicate core of the fruit is very sensitive, so it needs increased attention and sensitivity when processing. The easily separating thin skin of satsuma fruits causes some difficulties in transportation, as the fruits crumble quite quickly and begin to deteriorate. By the way, it was the dried skin of satsuma fruits that was previously used to improve the taste of drugs and as a bitter-spicy gastric remedy instead of pomeranian crust.

Satsuma mandarin is a fairly hardy and cold-resistant plant, due to which it is actively and in large quantities cultivated in Japan. Interestingly, most canned tangerines - a kind of satsuma that includes more than two hundred species - are one of the Owari. The fruits ripen in the northern hemisphere in late autumn, so in winter the first tangerines will undoubtedly be satsuma.

In addition, the satsuma group also includes the Unshiu variety of seedless tangerines (also very common in Japan), the name of which comes from one of the local provinces. Increased frost resistance and early ripening of fruits contribute to the fact that it is this satsuma variety that is cultivated today on the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus.