Tangerine is the sun in your hand during cold days
16 October 2025
When the days get shorter and the air feels fresher, we all long for a little sunshine. And just then it reappears on the shelves: the mandarin. Small, round and with that recognisable scent that immediately evokes a smile. It's like holding the sun in your hand for a moment.
The tangerine is not only a delicious snack, but also a real vitamin bomb. It is packed with vitamin C, which helps to maintain your resistance in the colder months. It also contains fibre and antioxidants that are good for your body. And the best part? It fits in any bag or lunch box. A quick peel and you have a fresh pick-me-up for on the go, at school or in the office.
From snack to seasoning
Yet the tangerine is much more than a snack. In the kitchen, you can go surprisingly far with it. A few segments in a salad provide a fresh, sweet taste, while the juice gives a dressing or marinade a subtle citrus kick. If you like baking, you can make a delicious tart, cake or dessert with tangerines. And even in hot dishes, tangerine brings a playful freshness that balances the dish.
For example, try:
Fresh from nearby
Most of the tangerines we eat in the Netherlands come from Spain and Morocco, where they are harvested in abundance in autumn. From October to February, they are at their best: juicy, full of flavour and perfectly ripe. Right in the period when we could use some extra vitamins. So the mandarin fits perfectly into the rhythm of the season.
A fragrance full of memories
Tangerines are related to the orange, but slightly sweeter and easier to peel. There are different varieties, such as the seedless clementine and the extra juicy satsuma. The scent of a fresh mandarin is unmistakable: fresh, sunny and familiar. It is the scent that fills winter afternoons, that you recognise from school drums, holidays and from the fruit bowl. One smell and you immediately know: it's tangerine time again.
Small fruit, great happiness
In short: the tangerine is much more than a fruit for in between meals. It is a daily treat that brings colour and sunshine into your day. Fresh, healthy and cheerful, just what we need when it gets a little greyer outside. So as soon as you peel that first tangerine of the season and the scent spreads, you know: that autumn has begun again.