Fresh Crystal Sugar Tangerines

Fresh Crystal Sugar Tangerines

Fresh Crystal Sugar Tangerines are a protected geographical indication product.

　　Fresh Crystal Sugar Tangerines are a specialty citrus fruit from Qingxin County, Guangdong Province. Known for their sweet and refreshing flavor, tender texture, juicy flesh, easy-to-separate rind, minimal to no seeds, and lingering fragrance that leaves a delightful aftertaste, these tangerines have gained widespread fame and are exported to cities and provinces such as Shanghai, Tianjin, Harbin, Lanzhou, Shaanxi, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Suzhou, and Wuxi. In 2008, after review by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China, it was decided to grant national geographical indication product protection to Qingxin Crystal Sugar Tangerines.

　　Growing Environment

　　Qingxin County is located in the central-northern part of Guangdong Province, at the junction of the Pearl River Delta and the northern mountainous region of Guangdong. It lies 68 kilometers in a straight line from the middle and lower reaches of the Beijiang River to Guangzhou. The county borders Fogang to the east, Qingyuan urban area and Sanshui City to the south, Guangning, Sihui to the west, and Yangshan and Yingde to the north. It features a South Asian tropical climate with distinct monsoons, abundant rainfall, an average annual temperature of 21.6°C, accumulated annual temperature of 4500–8000°C, annual precipitation of 2200 mm, annual sunshine hours of 1688 hours, and a frost-free period of 335 days. The terrain of Qingxin County is mainly high hills and low mountains, with soil types predominantly red soil and lateritic red soil. The county enjoys ample sunlight, rich heat, plentiful rain, a long frost-free period, and fertile soil—all of which provide optimal natural conditions for the growth of Crystal Sugar Tangerines.

　　Varietal Characteristics

　　In Qingxin County, Crystal Sugar Tangerines are commonly referred to as October Tangerines or Sugar Tangerines, and are branded under the registered name “Qingxin Honey.” (See Figure 3: Fresh Crystal Sugar Tangerines)

　　They are the main citrus variety cultivated in Qingxin County, belonging to the Citrus genus and representing an excellent type of loose-skinned mandarin. Originally from Tian Tang Forest Farm in Feilaixia Town, Qingxin County, these tangerines can now be found throughout towns such as Feilaixia, Heyun, Longjing, and Sankeng in Qingxin County. According to the 1977 edition of *Citrus Cultivation*, compiled by South China Agricultural College—the first post-resumption-of-college-entrance-examination university textbook—October Tangerines were also known as Crystal Sugar Tangerines. Up until the 1990s, this name remained popular across most regions of Guangdong Province. However, in the late 1990s, when October Tangerines saw a surge in cultivation across Guangdong, most major producing areas shifted to calling them Sugar Tangerines (Shatang Juice), with only Qingxin County (and a few surrounding counties) retaining the name Crystal Sugar Tangerines. These tangerines are characterized by their conical or round-topped tree canopy, with a spread of 4–5 meters and a height of 4–5 meters. They feature well-developed, evenly distributed roots and smooth, brown trunks. The branches are highly vigorous in sprouting. The fruits ripen from late November to February, appearing nearly round, small, and orange-red, weighing 40–80 grams per piece. The peel is thin and crisp, about 0.2 cm thick, with orange-yellow flesh. These tangerines contain 16% soluble solids, a sugar-acid ratio of 48.5, and offer a tender, juicy, sweet, seedless experience with a honey-like flavor. On average, there are 2–3 seeds per fruit, though larger fruits may occasionally have 4–5 seeds. In terms of yield, they are early-bearing, high-yielding, and stable. Generally, grafted seedlings begin production in the third year. By then, a single tree yields 5–7.5 kg at age 3, 15–20 kg at age 4, 20–25 kg at age 5, and 30–40 kg at age 6, with peak production reaching up to 100 kg. Under large-scale cultivation, the average yield is around 2000 kg per mu, and can reach over 5000 kg.

　　The protected geographical indication area for Fresh Crystal Sugar Tangerines is defined by the scope proposed in the “Letter on the Recommendation to Delimit the Production Area of Qingxin Crystal Sugar Tangerines” (Qingxin Government Letter [2007] No. 41) issued by Qingxin County, Guangdong Province, covering the entire administrative region of Qingxin County.