Flavors of Corsica

All about clementine > The History of the Clementine

The smallest of the mandarins, a Clementine is a hybrid fruit – a cross between a sweet orange and a Chinese mandarin. The origins of the Clementine are unclear. Some believe that it was Father Clement, an Algerian monk, who discovered this unique, natural hybrid in the mandarin garden at his orphanage and named it clementino. However, others claim that the Clementine originated in China much earlier and then migrated to the Mediterranean.

In Europe, Corsica is the main grower.

Whatever its origins, the Clementine was introduced to the United States in 1909. In 1914, it was brought from Florida to California to be grown at the Citrus Research Center in Riverside, California. Clementines are now a unique citrus product that provides a sweet, juicy orange flavor in an easy-to-peel “package.”