Are you wondering about the different types of citrus fruit that you will be able to find? Who does not love citrus fruits? This kind of fruit offers vitamin C goodness that is packed in a flavorful and lovely fruit. The combination of sweet and sour taste is one of the many reasons why people love citrus fruits. It is also why this kind of fruit is used in so many ways.
There are so many things that you need to know about citrus fruit. One of the things that you might not know is the fact that there are more than 100 different varieties of this fruit, which is kind of fascinating. You are probably familiar with sour citrus fruits such as limes and lemons. However, the sweet and tangy oranges are also part of the same family.
If you are wondering what another type of citrus fruit that you will be able to find, you do not need to worry. We are going to tell you all you need to know about the different kinds of citrus fruit. That way, you will be able to understand this kind of fruit a little bit better.
Types of Citrus – Fruit Basics
Before we go on and on about the many different kinds of citrus fruits, let’s talk about what this type of fruit is all about. Citrus is a botanical name. This name refers to a genus of every fruit that you can classify as citrus fruits. You will be able to find so many different types of citrus, which is amazing.
Citrus fruits belong to the Rutaceae family of plants. This kind of fruit has a general characteristic that you will be able to observe. You will be able to find either sour citrus fruits such as lemons or tangy citrus fruits such as oranges. The tangy fruits usually have juicy segments. These segments are usually surrounded by zesty rinds.
You will be able to find citrus fruits growing all over the world. However, most varieties of citrus fruits grow naturally in Southeast Asia. But you will be able to find a lot of genetically modified species in many other places. This kind of fruit has been used in a lot of cooking. You will also be able to enjoy citrus fruits in popsicles and refreshing drinks.
The original species of citrus fruits include mandarin orange, citron, and pomelo. These species are then being genetically combined to produce many different species of citrus fruit. You will be able to find that almost every modern-day citrus fruit is a form of hybridization of the original species of citrus fruits, which is very interesting.
Types of Citrus Fruit
Now that you know what citrus fruits are, let’s talk about the many different types of citrus fruit. You will be able to find a lot of citrus fruit varieties on the market. Whatever you want to make, you need to know which citrus fruit that you need to get. And that is exactly what we are going to tell you all about. Here are some of the many kinds of citrus fruit that you will be able to find in the market.
The Best Types of Citrus – Mandarin
Mandarin orange is one of the original kinds of citrus fruit. It is a citrus fruit that is native to China. People in China even believe that this fruit brings good fortune and represents hope. This is one of the reasons why people in China make it a common practice to bring Mandarin oranges as a gift for friends and family. This is especially most common during the Chinese New Year.
Mandarin oranges are sweet oranges. They have a spherical shape and they taste sweet. They also do not taste as sour as other oranges. You can eat fresh Mandarin oranges by peeling the fruit and eating the flesh directly.
They taste sweet with only a hint of sourness.
One of the most unique qualities of this kind of citrus fruit is its peel. Chinese medicine uses dried Mandarin peel to treat a few health issues. Mandarin orange peel is also thought to have a lot of medicinal properties. The Chinese culture believes that this kind of citrus fruit can treat issues in the abdomen and issues regarding phlegm. The peel of this fruit also has a very sweet and tangy zest that you can use for cooking.
Pomelo Citrus
Another original species of citrus fruit is pomelo. Pomelo is also known as jabong or shaddock. It is the largest fruit that you will be able to find in the citrus family. This kind of fruit can grow up to 10 inches in diameter. The weight of this fruit is also kind of heavy, which can reach about 2 kilograms per fruit.
Pomelo has a very thick rind. This fruit has a pale yellow or light green skin color. It kind of looks like a grapefruit. This citrus fruit also has a sweet white flesh that can also be sour. The taste of the flesh can also be a combination of sweet and sour. Unlike grapefruits, you will not find any bitter taste in this kind of fruit.
Pomelo can often be found in Southeast Asia. You will be able to use this fruit for a variety of things. However, one of the most common uses of this fruit is to make marmalade. Pomelo rind is also often dipped in chocolate.
This kind of citrus fruit is sometimes even used in aromatic baths.
Citron
The last original citrus fruit on our list is citron. Citron is a non-hybridized citrus fruit that has a lot of unique qualities that you can observe. One of the most distinctive features that this fruit has is its dry pulp. But this does not mean that this fruit does not have any benefits at all.
Citron has a very thick rind. Other than that, this kind of citrus fruit is also very fragrant. You will often find the rind of this fruit being used to make sweets and candies. The flesh of this kind of citron fruit is not juicy like other citrus fruits. It is also kind of tasteless, hence why people do not use this fruit in cooking very often.
However, citron is often used for medicinal purposes. The rind of this fruit is believed to be very beneficial for a lot of health conditions such as nausea, hemorrhoids, skin diseases, and parasite infections. The thick and tangy rind of this fruit is also used in several Middle-Eastern and Asian cuisine. This fruit is also often used as a religious offering in a lot of countries.
The Popular Types of Citrus – Orange
Now that you know the three original citrus fruit species, let’s talk about the hybridized version of this family of fruits. Orange, also known as sweet orange, is a cross between mandarin and pomelo. This citrus fruit is very popular for its bright orange color and sweet taste. Other than that, the smell of this fruit is also very strong and citrusy.
Orange is a very juicy fruit. It is one of the reasons why this citrus fruit is loved by so many people all over the world. This fruit is packed in vitamin C. Other than that, it is used in so many ways. A lot of people use oranges to make desserts. The peel of this fruit is also often used in the perfume industry. Other than that, you can also eat this fruit fresh and taste the delicious sweet flesh.
Tangerine Citrus
Next up, we have tangerine. This is the kind of citrus fruit that you are looking for if you want a sweet citrus fruit that does not taste as sour as any other citrus fruit. Tangerine is a hybrid between mandarin orange and pomelo. It is also one of the most popular citrus fruits that you will be able to find.
Tangerine looks like small oranges. These types of citrus fruit tastes sweeter than any other orange variety. Other than that, the acid concentration in tangerine is quite low. You will also be able to find several varieties of this citrus fruit that are seedless. They also have loose rinds that make it easy for you to peel them, which is very nice.
One of the most amazing things about this fruit is the fact that they have a sweet rind. Because of this, tangerine peels are often used to make desserts. Coating tangerine peels in chocolate can turn them into the most delicious sweet dessert that you will ever taste.
Tangelo
One of the sweetest types of citrus fruit that you will be able to find is tangelo. This fruit is a crossing between a Mandarin orange and a grapefruit. This kind of citrus fruit is also often called honeybells. Tangelo is pretty unique because this fruit has a distinctive feature, which is the knob at the stem of this fruit. The knob on the fruit looks like a nipple at the end of the stem.
Tangelo is another citrus fruit that you need to get if you want a juicy fruit that you can enjoy fresh. The flavor of this fruit is sweet and tangy. Because it has loose skin, you will be able to peel this fruit easily. Once you do that, you will be able to taste the sweet and juicy flesh of this amazing citrus fruit.
Because this citrus fruit is very sweet, it becomes a reliable substitute for Mandarin oranges and sweet oranges. So, if you want an alternative to those fruits, you can use the sweet tangelo. However, you will be able to taste a hint of bitterness in this fruit. It is a hybrid that involves grapefruits after all. But do not worry. You will not regret eating this fruit.
Clementine
Another delicious hybrid citrus fruit that you will be able to get in the market is clementine. This fruit is a cross between Mandarin orange and sweet orange. You can only imagine how juicy and sweet this kind of citrus fruit is going to taste. That is why clementine is one of the most popular citrus fruits that you will be able to easily get in the market.
Clementine is very unique because of its appearance. This citrus fruit looks very shiny and smooth. You can see that the shade of the peel is dark orange, which makes this fruit looks very sophisticated. Clementine is also a very juicy citrus fruit. You will be able to taste the sugary flavor of this fruit once you have taken a bite into it. The taste of this citrus fruit is very sweet. It almost tastes like honey but with a hint of sourness.
Lemon
You are probably familiar with the next citrus fruit that we are going to talk about. Lemons are what often come to mind when we are thinking about citrus fruits. This variety of citrus fruit is one of the most used citrus fruits that you will be able to find all over the world.
What makes lemons so special and unique is its high acid levels. Because of this, lemons taste very sour. It is also why this citrus fruit is often used as a cleaning agent as well. However, lemons can be used for a variety of things. Those things include cooking, baking, cleaning, and aromatherapy. You can also make delicious lemonade with the help of this lovely fruit.
Lemons contain a lot of vitamin C. That is why consuming lemons can be very beneficial to you. Lemon peels can also be used for a lot of things, such as making tasty desserts or refreshing drinks. Lemons also have a lot of health benefits. These citrus fruits are thought to be very beneficial to prevent asthma, stroke, or cancer.
Blood Orange
Next, let’s talk about one of the most unique citrus fruits that you will be able to find. The name blood orange sounds kind of scary. However, the name comes from the unique characteristic that this citrus fruit has. The blood orange is a type of citrus fruit that has a deep blood-red colored-flesh. Because of this, people call this type of citrus fruit the blood orange.
The deep blood-red color of the flesh of this fruit is caused by an antioxidant. That antioxidant is called anthocyanins. This antioxidant can only be found in blood orange. Other than giving the deep-red color, anthocyanins also give this fruit a very amazing health benefit. The blood orange is often used to treat urinary tract infections.
The unique color of this fruit also makes it very attractive. A lot of people use this citrus fruit to decorate exotic juices or desserts. You will be able to taste quite a sour taste in blood orange. They have a similar taste to sour raspberries.
The skin of the blood orange is quite thick. It is also very tough so you might have a hard time peeling this citrus fruit. However, the flavor of this fruit is quite lovely. You will be able to taste the sweet and tart flavors in this fruit. That is why a lot of people use this fruit to make marmalade, Italian soda, or even salads.
Yuzu Citrus
Another types of citrus fruit that we are going to tell you all about is Yuzu. Yuzu is a popular citrus fruit in Japan. If you take a look at this fruit, you will be able to see its appearance, which is similar to a small grapefruit. However, this citrus fruit has a wrinkled skin that differentiates it from grapefruits.
A very interesting thing about Yuzu is the fact that this fruit is very aromatic. The color of this fruit can range from green to yellow depending on how ripe this citrus fruit is. If you decide to taste this fruit, you will be able to feel the tart flavor of this citrus fruit. However, you will also be able to taste a little bit of that Mandarin orange flavor.
Yuzu is rarely eaten fresh as a fruit. However, the rind of this citrus fruit is used a lot in Asian dishes. The juice is also often used in cooking. You can use this fruit in many food and beverages such as tea, sweets, and many more. Because this fruit is very aromatic, the oils in the rind are also often used to make perfume. That is why it is one of the most unique types of citrus fruit.
Kumquat
The last citrus fruit on our list is kumquat. If you are looking for a tasty sweet and sour orange, then you can get kumquat. This citrus fruit is cute because of its tiny size. Once you have taken a bite of this fruit, you will be able to taste a sweet orange taste as well as a bit of sourness that you will be able to find in most citrus fruits.
Kumquat is very small. It has a similar size to a large grape. Because of this tiny size, you will be able to easily eat it. You can even pluck one right from the tree and eat it straight away, which can be very fun. Another unique thing about this fruit is its tasty rind. Because the rind is very thin, it is edible.
The rind of this fruit tastes very sweet. However, once you get to the pulp center, you will be able to taste a hint of sourness. That is why this fruit is very unique. Other than eating it straight off the tree, you can use kumquat for many other things. You can use this citrus fruit to make marmalades and a lot of different types of desserts. That is why it is one of the most amazing types of citrus fruit that you will be able to find.