Fugian Mandarins

Fugian Mandarins

　　Fugian Mandarins and Fugian Tieguanyin tea have both been certified as green food products. For five consecutive years, Fugian Mandarins have been selected to be served at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse.

　　■ Mandarin Overview

　　Fugian Mandarins are large in size, bright in color, with loose and easy-to-peel skin. The flesh is crisp, tender, juicy, and seedless; the taste is fragrant, sweet, and rich, leaving a pleasant honey-like aftertaste. Their unique flavor has earned them fame both in China and abroad. The edible portion of the fruit can reach 68%–75%, with soluble solids content between 12%–15%. Each 100 ml of juice contains 11–13 grams of sugar, 0.5–1.0 grams of acid, and 25–35 mg of vitamin C, indicating particularly high quality. In every 100 grams of edible mandarin, there are 171.66 joules of energy, 88.6 grams of water, 0.7 grams of protein, 0.3 grams of fat, 9.6 grams of sugar, 0.4 grams of fiber, 0.4 grams of ash, 25 mg of calcium, 19 mg of phosphorus, 0.2 mg of iron, 140 TU of vitamin A, 0.1 mg of vitamin B1, 0.03 mg of vitamin B2, 40 mg of vitamin C, and 0.6 mg of niacin. The abundance of vitamins and minerals contributes to human health as essential components of the body. Pectin can help reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. Additionally, regular consumption of citrus fruits can aid in breaking down fats and eliminating harmful heavy metals and radioactive elements accumulated in the body.

　　Fugian Mandarins are mainly consumed fresh but can also be processed into canned mandarin segments in syrup, juice, jam, fruit wine, jelly, and more. The peel and pulp residue can be used to extract pectin, alcohol, and citric acid. Processing by-products, after fermentation and drying, can serve as animal feed. The mandarin albedo is nutritious and has medicinal value. The overall utilization value of the fruit is high.

　　Due to their excellent quality, Fugian Mandarins are highly favored by consumers and have long ranked among the top-selling loose-skinned citrus varieties. Moreover, as mandarin cultivation in other countries does not match the success achieved in China, Fugian Mandarins are China’s most competitive citrus variety in the international market. Currently, they are bestsellers in over ten countries and regions including Southeast Asia and Hong Kong and Macau. They are also very popular in the domestic market, showing great market potential. Mandarin cultivation yields good economic returns, and production has grown rapidly in recent years.

　　Fugian 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 (circa 9th century), the ninth-generation abbot of Jiuhu Qishouyan, Zen Master Zhongli, often irrigated a single orange tree with eight springs. It bore large fruits with rough orange skin, sweet juice, fragrant taste, slightly indented stems, and 6–8 radiating lines resembling trigrams.” This description matches the current hard-shelled variety of cultivated mandarins. Additionally, the late Ming Dynasty text "Rongcheng Suibi" by Ling Dengming states, “Southern Fujian produces various kinds of citrus, all of which are large in size. Among them, mandarins rank first, followed by red oranges. Mandarins are slightly yellow in color, while red oranges are true red—both are fine varieties. Even those produced in Sanqu seem to pale in comparison.”