Nova Mandarins
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
Description/Taste
Nova mandarins vary in size, depending on growing region, but are generally considered a medium variety, averaging 5 to 8 centimeters in diameter and 140 to 170 grams in weight. The round to oblate fruits have a broad center with curved edges and flattened poles. Nova mandarins ripen to shades of orange and orange-red and have a thin, leathery, faintly glossy, and taut appearance. The skin is covered in sunken oil glands, creating a pitted appearance and a pebbled feel. The variety is somewhat easy to peel, revealing 8 to 11 segments of flesh divided by thin membranes. The dark orange flesh is firm, fine-textured, aqueous, and tender with a succulent consistency. The flesh also envelops a few to many cream-colored seeds, varying in number depending on how the fruits are pollinated during cultivation. When scratched or peeled, Nova mandarins release a light, fresh, and bright aroma and are edible raw once ripe. The variety is known for its mild, sweet, and tangy flavor with subtle fruity and floral nuances.
Seasons/Availability
Nova mandarins are available in the early winter through early spring. The variety is grown in both hemispheres and has a peak season in November through January in the Northern Hemisphere.
Current Facts
Nova mandarins, botanically classified as Citrus reticulata, are an American species belonging to the Rutaceae or citrus family. The fragrant fruits were developed as a new commercial variety in the mid-20th century in Florida and later expanded as a mandarin grown worldwide. Nova mandarin trees are known for their vigorous nature, and the fruits can hold well on the branches, extending the fruit’s availability in markets. The variety is known by several names worldwide, including Clemenvilla or Clemenville in Spain and Suntina or Santina in Israel, and is favored by consumers for the fruit’s tender, juicy flesh and fruity and floral flavoring. Nova mandarins vary in popularity, depending on their growing regions, and are considered rare in some parts of the world and seasonally common in others. Chefs and home cooks utilize Nova mandarins as dual-purpose fruits for fresh eating and cooked culinary preparations.
Nutritional Value
Nova mandarins are a source of fiber to regulate the digestive tract and vitamins A, C, and E to maintain healthy organs, strengthen the immune system, and guard the cells against the damage caused by free radicals. Mandarins also provide minerals like calcium to support bones and teeth, potassium to balance fluid levels within the body, iron to develop the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, and magnesium to control nerve functions. Other nutrients include zinc, copper, manganese, and folate.
Applications
Nova mandarins have a rich, sweet, and tangy taste suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The variety is typically eaten out of hand and is enjoyed as a refreshing snack. Nova mandarins can be peeled, segmented, and served on fruit platters or used as an edible topping for yogurt. The fruit segments are also dipped whole in chocolate, tossed into salads, or diced into salsas, slaws, and various condiments. In Europe, Nova mandarins are sometimes blended into smoothies and juices. They are also incorporated into sauces and syrups as flavoring. Nova mandarins can be simmered into jams, marmalades, and jellies, used as fillings in baked goods, or added as a garnish to desserts. The variety’s sweet flavor also complements roasted meat dishes and can be used in glazes or marinades. Try blending and freezing Nova mandarins into sorbet or granita as a fresh treat. Nova mandarins pair well with other fruits like bananas, strawberries, pineapples, and kiwis, herbs including coriander, mint, basil, and tarragon, and meats like duck, veal, poultry, or fish. Whole, unopened Nova mandarins will keep for several days when stored in the refrigerator’s crisper drawer.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Nova mandarins are one of several orange varieties grown on the island of Crete. Local Cretan growers believe the variety was introduced from Spain and was planted on the island in the early 21st century. During citrus season, Nova mandarins and other oranges are famously used to flavor portokalopita, a traditional Cretan sweet orange cake. Portokalopita is comprised of phyllo dough saturated with orange-flavored syrup. The Greek dessert is a type of siropiasto, a sweet that is soaked in syrup after it is baked. The syrup is absorbed in the process, creating a moist consistency. Legend has it that portokalopita was made in the Chania region on the island of Crete. Oranges are customarily grown in valleys below the Lefka Ori mountains in Chania, and the citrus groves are nourished by the melting snow at the top of the mountain peaks. It is unknown when portokalopita was created, but it is thought that Cretan women in villages in Chania used leftover phyllo dough from other recipes to make the cake-like dessert to reduce food waste. The dessert was flavored with the abundant oranges available in the region and became a favored treat of Crete. Portokalopita is still widely made in bakeries and home kitchens in the modern day and is served with coffee or tea and candied oranges as an edible decoration.
Geography/History
Nova mandarins are native to the United States and were bred in the mid-20th century in Orlando, Florida. The variety was created from a cross between Fina clementines and Orlando tangelos at the United States Department of Agriculture’s Horticultural Field Station in 1942. The breeding was primarily conducted by scientists Jack Bellows and Francis C. Gardner, and several varieties were created from this cross in addition to Nova, known as sibling cultivars. Lee, Robinson, and Osceola mandarins are notable siblings. The first trees created from the cross fruited in 1950, and after several years of evaluations, Nova mandarins were released to the public in 1964. Nova mandarins were eventually introduced to European growers in 1971, where they later expanded in cultivation to citrus-growing regions in the Middle East, Asia, and South Africa. Today, Nova mandarins are commercially grown in select regions worldwide and are sold through fresh markets. The variety is notably cultivated in Spain, Greece, Turkey, Israel, Morocco, South Africa, and Uruguay. Nova mandarins are also planted on a smaller scale in the United States. The Nova mandarins featured in the photograph above were sourced through local growers at an open market in the city of Heraklion on the island of Crete in Greece.
