Mikan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Mikan is also a surname (e.g. George Mikan). In Japanese, mikan is also a general term for citrus.
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 A mikan grove
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Citrus unshiu Marc. is a seedless and easy-peeling citrus mutant of Chinese origin, but introduced to the West via Japan. In Japan, it is known as unshu mikan (Japanese: 温州蜜柑, unshū mikan, lit. Wenzhou sweet citrus) in Japan. In China, it is known as Wenzhou migan (Chinese: 温州蜜柑; pinyin: Wēnzhōu Mìgān; literally "Wenzhou honey citrus"). It is also often known as "Seedless mandarin (Chinese: 无核桔; pinyin: wúhé jú).
It is commonly called mikan in Japan, satsuma in the UK, naartjie in Africa and mandarin or tangerine in Canada. In the United States, satsumas are most frequently marketed as tangerines. It is less commonly called satsuma tangerine, satsuma orange, or satsuma mandarin.[citation needed]
Its fruit is sweet and usually seedless, about the size of other mandarin oranges (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 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 Wenzhou, a city in the Zhejiang Province of China known for its citrus production. However, it has also been grown in Japan since ancient times, and the majority of cultivars grown in China today were cultivated in Japan and reverse-introduced into China in modern times.
In the UK and the U.S., mikan are commonly available in the winter months (December through January). They are widely available in the U.S. and commonly eaten regardless of region.
Clementines are not the same variety as the unshiu or satsuma mandarin.
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[edit] History
The mikan originates from Wenzhou, a city in Zhejiang province in China. Recorded cultivation of the "Wenzhou Migan" date back some 2400 years. It was listed as a tribute item for Imperial consumption in the Tang Dynasty. The best record of the cultivation of this variety in ancient China is from the Jijia Julu (Chinese: 记嘉桔录; literally "Citrus Records of Jijia"), written by Han Yan, the governor of the region and published in 1178[1]. This book records the various citrus varieties then grown in Wenzhou, cultivation, pest control, storage, and processing of each variety.
The mikan was introduced to Japan by the Buddhist monk Chie (智慧), who passed through Wenzhou on his way back from Wutai Mountain. This was further developed into new cultivars, with one mutation recorded as early as 1429 [2].
In 1916, a number of Japanese cultivars were introduced to Wenzhou. These, and new cultivars developed from them, now dominate orchards in Wenzhou. The traditional centre of mikan production in Wenzhou is in the town of Wushan, in the Ouhai District of Wenzhou.
[edit] Export of the mikan to the West
In 1876 during the Meiji period, mikan were brought to the United States from the Satsuma Province in Kyūshū, Japan 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 town of Satsuma, Alabama was named after this fruit.
[edit] Popular Culture
- The satsuma played an important part in the 2005 Christmas episode of Doctor Who, The Christmas Invasion, in which the Tenth Doctor (played by David Tennant) saves the world from aliens using the fruit.
- Sex Machineguns has a song called "Mikan no Uta" which is about the Mikan.
- Comedian Eddie Izzard refers to the 'civil war' between orange varieties, including the satsuma, in his Definite Article routine.
