The Citrus Unshiu or Satsuma is an easy to peel, seedless citrus mutant from Japan and was introduced to the West. Formally, Satsuma is known in Japan as unshu mikan or simply mikan while in China, it is known as Wenzhou. The Japanese name was brought about by a reading of the same character that is used in Chinese and in both languages, means “honey citrus of Wenzhou.” Frequently, Satsuma is also known as “seedless mandarin”. The fruit is known in Korea as gyul.
Although the both Chinese and Japanese names refer to Wenzhou, which is a city in the Zhejiang Province of China that is known for producing citrus, the Satsuma has been cultivated in Japan since the ancient times.
The fruit is sweet and as mentioned, usually seedless. Its size is smaller than an orange and about the same as that of other mandarin oranges or citrus reticulata.
One of the Satsuma’s unique features is its leathery, thin skin that is dotted with pronounced and large oil glands. The skin is attached lightly around the fruit, making it very easy to peel as compared to other citrus fruits. Its flesh is also particularly delicate and cannot tolerate careless handling.
However, the Satsuma’s distinctive loose skin means that any damages and markings to the fruit will not be seen right away upon the visual inspection that is connected with evaluating the quality of the fruit. In connection to this, citrus growers often classify the Satsuma as a hit-and-miss citrus fruit, which means that the measurement of its quality is by sight and feel alone.
The Jesuits were responsible for bringing Satsuma to New Spain from Asia and until today, the grooves that they have started in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana in the 18th century is still being continued.
In the late 19th century, the Satsuma started to become more popular in the United States. As a matter of fact, there are towns in Alabama, Florida, Texas and Louisiana that are named after this fruit. By 1920, the Florida Panhandle’s Jackson County billed itself as the “Satsuma Capital of the World”. However, a very cold period in the late 1930’s wiped out the commercial industry.
Among all edible citrus, the kumquat is the only fruit that is more cold-hardy than the Satsuma. In fact, the Satsuma has been planted in colder places because of its tolerance for cold and also because the colder climate will sweeten the fruit even more. A Satsuma in its prime can withstand temperature of –9.5°C (15°F) for a few hours.
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