Three-inch Yellow Mandarin Peel

Three-inch Yellow Mandarin Peel

　　　　Product Name: Three-inch Yellow Mandarin Peel

　　Alias: Ou Mandarin

　　Origin: Yongjia, Wenzhou, Zhejiang

　　Features: Slightly bitter and mildly acidic. After long-term storage, the bitterness disappears, leaving it soft, juicy, sweet, and refreshing.

　　Ingredients: Carbohydrates, protein, fat, organic acids, various vitamins and minerals, Vitamin C

　　Benefits: Medicinal properties include clearing heat, promoting fluid production, relieving phlegm and cough, moistening lungs, calming wheezing, reducing inflammation, and detoxification.

　　Introduction: The Ou Mandarin is both a precious fruit and a medicinal item. It is rich in carbohydrates, protein, fat, organic acids, various vitamins and minerals, with Vitamin C content higher than that of most other fruits. In addition to being eaten fresh, it can be made into preserves, fruit wine, juice, and canned products. When freshly picked, the Ou Mandarin has a slight bitterness and mild acidity. After long-term storage, the bitterness fades, leaving it soft, juicy, sweet, and refreshing. With advances in fruit storage technology, Ou Mandarins can now be stored for up to a year—something other citrus fruits cannot achieve. As a medicinal fruit, it clears heat, promotes fluid production, relieves phlegm and cough, moistens lungs, calms wheezing, reduces inflammation, and detoxifies. Especially when stored for a long time, its medicinal effects are enhanced. A folk saying goes: “Ou Mandarin at the Dragon Boat Festival rivals antelope horn.”

　　History: By the time of the Qingming Festival, the once-popular Wenzhou tangerine has disappeared from the market. The unassuming Ou Mandarin then takes center stage and becomes highly favored. Wenzhou has a long history of citrus cultivation. According to the "Records of Linhai Exotic Objects" by Shen Ying of the Wu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period: “Chicken oranges, as big as a finger, sweet in taste, are found in the territory of Yongning.” During the Three Kingdoms, the area around Wenzhou belonged to Yongning County under Linhai Commandery. This shows that over 1,700 years ago, Wenzhou’s kumquats were already well-known. Historical records state that during the Three Kingdoms, Cao Cao once sent envoys to Yongjia to select 40 dan (approximately 2 tons) of Ou Mandarins to be transported back to the capital Ye. During the Tang and Song dynasties, the Ou Mandarin from Wenzhou was renowned nationwide for its premium quality and delicious taste, becoming a fruit gifted by emperors to ministers during the Lantern Festival. The "New Book of Tang · Geography" records that the Ou Mandarin, along with sugarcane, local cloth, and sharkskin, had been listed as tribute items since the Tang Dynasty. Yuan Lin’s "Record of Citrus Fruit" states: “During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, on the night of the imperial lantern festival, the emperor hosted a banquet for his ministers, serving yellow mandarins and giving them as gifts, which was called ‘passing the mandarin’.” The "History of Song" contains an entry: “In the 24th year of Emperor Gaozong’s Shaoxing reign, at noon in August, the distribution of Wenzhou yellow mandarins was halted.” Yellow mandarins refer to Ou Mandarins. At that time, they were also sold on the streets of the capital Kaifeng. Liang Zhangju’s "Continued Random Talks" says: “The mandarins of Yongjia, commonly known as Ou Mandarins, were called spring oranges when transported to the capital. They have been famous since the Tang and Song dynasties. Su Shi wrote in a poem: ‘A remarkable thing south of Yan, indeed worth noting — a three-inch yellow mandarin split open from Yongjia.’ Mei Yaochen wrote in a poem: ‘The Yu Gong documented its package, unaware of the beauty of the yellow mandarin. Everyone says Dongting is ripe, but none can compare to Yongjia.’ This shows that the Ou Mandarin has been renowned since ancient times. No wonder Zhang Shinan exclaimed in his 'Travel Notes of an Official': ‘The mandarins of Yongjia are the best in the world!’ Up through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the Ou Mandarin continued to be listed as a tribute item.

　　In the fifth year of the Chunxi reign of Emperor Xiaozong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1178), Han Yanjun, the eldest son of the famed anti-Jin general Han Shizhong and the governor of Yongjia, compiled the "Treatise on Citrus" (also known as the "Yongjia Citrus Treatise") in three volumes. It details the varieties and characteristics of Wenzhou citrus fruits and summarizes the techniques of planting, cultivation, disease control, irrigation, harvesting, storage, processing, and medicinal use of citrus at the time, offering high praise for the superior quality of Wenzhou citrus. The "Treatise on Citrus" is the earliest and most comprehensive academic monograph on citrus in the world. It remains of significant academic value today, and the international botanical community regards it as an “extremely valuable work on the horticulture of citrus.”

　　Anecdotes: Yuan Lin’s "Record of Citrus Fruit" states: “During the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty, on the night of the imperial lantern festival, the emperor hosted a banquet for his ministers, serving yellow mandarins and giving them as gifts, which was called ‘passing the mandarin.’” The "History of Song" contains an entry: “In the 24th year of Emperor Gaozong’s Shaoxing reign, at noon in August, the distribution of Wenzhou yellow mandarins was halted.” Yellow mandarins refer to Ou Mandarins. At that time, they were also sold on the streets of the capital Kaifeng. Liang Zhangju’s "Continued Random Talks" says: “The mandarins of Yongjia, commonly known as Ou Mandarins, were called spring oranges when transported to the capital. They have been famous since the Tang and Song dynasties. Su Shi wrote in a poem: ‘A remarkable thing south of Yan, indeed worth noting — a three-inch yellow mandarin split open from Yongjia.’ Mei Yaochen wrote in a poem: ‘The Yu Gong documented its package, unaware of the beauty of the yellow mandarin. Everyone says Dongting is ripe, but none can compare to Yongjia.’ This shows that the Ou Mandarin has been renowned since ancient times. No wonder Zhang Shinan exclaimed in his 'Travel Notes of an Official': ‘The mandarins of Yongjia are the best in the world!’ Up through the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, the Ou Mandarin continued to be listed as a tribute item.