New ‘Orri mandarins’ in the supermarket and they taste different: “Plus, they barely have any seeds” | To eat
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When you think of tangerines, you think of Sinterklaas. So they are only in season from late autumn. And yet a new variety of mandarins appears to be appearing on the shelves of Albert Heijn. The Orri mandarins are said to be sweeter than the classic mandarins. Where does this new species come from? What is the difference? And why does this species appear out of season?
The European mandarins that you normally see in winter are harvested in winter. They mainly come from Spain and are on the shelves from November. That season usually ends in April, but that does not include the so-called Orri mandarins.
“Orri mandarins have been around for some time, but in recent years they have increasingly found their way to fruit shops and supermarkets,” says Ann Maes, spokesperson for Albert Heijn. “Orris are ‘late season fruit’. They take longer to ripen and are therefore harvested later in the year. When the classic mandarins from Spain have all been picked, it is the Orri’s turn. So you can extend the European mandarin season with this variety.”
Why are mandarins available all year round?
The time when we only had seasonal fruit on our plates is far behind us. Nowadays you can find mandarins all year round in supermarkets and fruit merchants. After the European mandarin season, shops switch to overseas mandarins.
Between May and September, mandarins find their way into our shopping carts via Uruguay and South Africa, we read at Albert Heijn. From August and until October, the store chain’s mandarins come from Chile and Peru. “The Orri mandarins that you find with us today come from Spain,” says Maes. “The Orri’s will also be available later this year. During the overseas season we get them from South Africa and Peru.”
Orri mandarins taste different from regular mandarins: “Because of their high ‘brix value’”
Today, Orri mandarins are on store shelves alongside the classic mandarins. But they are more than just a late-maturing variety and have their own taste and assets. “Orri mandarins are considerably sweeter than most regular varieties,” says Maes. “That’s because the Orris have a higher ‘brix value’. This does not indicate added sugars, but does indicate a natural, sweet taste.”
The Brix value indicates how many dissolved sugars there are in a liquid. The higher the value, the sweeter the fruit and the longer it can be stored. And that is not the only advantage of the Orri mandarin. “The variant barely has any seeds. So the fruit is not only extra sweet, but also nice to eat.” Furthermore, we see little difference in nutrients with the ‘normal’ variant.
Orri mandarins are more expensive because it is a premium variety
Ann Maes, Albert Heijn
Is there a price difference between ‘normal’ and Orri mandarins?
Regular mandarins currently cost 3.33 euros per kilo at Albert Heijn. For Orri mandarins, on the other hand, you pay 4.65 euros per kilo. So you have to dig deeper into your pockets for those sweet, seedless mandarins. “Orris are indeed more expensive, they are a premium variety,” Maes explains. “They are more expensive to grow and farmers also plant smaller volumes in comparison to the other varieties. So there are fewer of them and that pushes the price up.”
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