Zhangzhou Mandarins

Zhangzhou Mandarins

Zhangzhou Mandarins is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Geographical Scope

　　　 The low hilly red sandy soil areas below 200 meters in elevation within the estuary region of the Jiulong River in Zhangzhou City, covering the five counties/districts of Changtai, Longhai, Nanjing, Pinghe, and Zhangpu.

　　Specific Qualities

　　　　　　Zhangzhou mandarins are divided into two cultivars, “Hard Mandarins” and “Soft Mandarins,” based on differences in fruit shape and quality. Hard Mandarins are of the highest quality. Their fruits are tall and flat-round, with bright yellow, moderately thick and relatively hard peel — hence the name “Hard Mandarin.” They are juicy, sweet-tasting (with about 15% soluble solids), fragrant, refreshing, and excellent in color, aroma, and flavor. As an outstanding cultivar among mandarins, they are the main variety cultivated in southern Fujian.

　　Cultural Background

　　　　　　Mandarins originated in China and have a long cultivation history. According to historical records from Longhai County in Fujian, “During the Dazhong era of the Tang Dynasty (around the 9th century), the ninth-generation abbot of Qihu Qishouyan, Zen Master Zhongli, often irrigated a single orange tree with eight springs. The tree bore large fruits with coarse orange skin, sweet juice, fragrant taste, slightly indented stems, and 6–8 radiating stripes resembling trigrams.” This description matches the current Hard Mandarin cultivar. Furthermore, the late Ming Dynasty text “Rongcheng Suibi” by Ling Dengming states: “Southern Fujian produces various types of citrus, mostly large in size. Mandarins lead in volume, followed by red oranges. Mandarins are slightly yellow, while red oranges are pure red — both are fine varieties. Even those produced in Quzhou are somewhat inferior.” This indicates that mandarin cultivation has a history of over 1,100 years, with the largest and most concentrated cultivation currently found in Zhangzhou and Yongchun in Fujian, Qu County in Zhejiang, and Taiwan Province.