Citrus fans know that the category has much more to offer than generic lemons, limes, and oranges. Globally, there are dozens of lemon varieties, more than 20 types of grapefruit, and hundreds of oranges — far more diversity than most shoppers ever see. Mandarins fall within the orange family and also include several subcategories.
Today, the shiranui mandarin hybrid, otherwise known as Sumo Citrus or dekopon, is one of the most popular mandarins in the U.S. thanks to its candylike sweetness, seedless fruit, low acidity, and easy-to-peel skin. Yet the distinctive bulbous fruit wasn’t introduced to American consumers until 2011.
“The story of Sumo Citrus began in the 1970s in Japan, when an expert grower sought to create the ultimate citrus experience by crossing the best of the satsuma, orange, and mandarin varieties,” explains Sunnia Gull, vice president of marketing for Sumo Citrus.
In 1998, shiranui seedlings were brought to the U.S., but growers quickly realized that this citrus was one of the most challenging varieties to cultivate. “Its delicate skin, unique shape, and specific growing requirements meant that traditional citrus-growing methods weren’t enough,” adds Gull.
Nick Moless, produce senior team leader at Whole Foods Market
“Sumo Citrus has become the Kleenex of mandarins. It’s like the rockstar of the citrus world.”
— Nick Moless, produce senior team leader at Whole Foods Market
For the next decade-plus, a dedicated group of expert growers worked to perfect the art of Sumo mandarins — researching optimal soil conditions, implementing sustainable irrigation practices, and adapting to the temperature swings of California’s Central Valley — while also nurturing the seedlings into fruit-bearing trees. Finally, in 2011, the fruit met growers’ “ambitiously high standards,” says Gull. Shiranui mandarins were trademarked as Sumo Citrus in the U.S. — named for their resemblance to sumo wrestlers’ topknots — and debuted at Whole Foods Market nationwide in 2012.
“Sumo Citrus has become the Kleenex of mandarins,” says Nick Moless, the produce senior team leader for Whole Foods Market. “The brand has devoted superfans, and their social media team has cracked the code on making produce go viral,” he says. “It’s like the rockstar of the citrus world.”
“The fruit itself delivers knockout flavor every single time, wrapped in a peel that practically jumps off the fruit,” he adds. “No wrestling, no sticky fingers.”
As beloved as Sumo mandarins have become across America, there’s one catch: Unlike other citrus varieties, Sumo Citrus is only found on shelves from January through April. Gull sees this as an advantage: “That limited availability creates anticipation among consumers who wait all year for its return.”
Growers, though, have already attempted to extend the season with various mutations that ripen earlier or later, and there are rumblings about what cultivar might have the potential to give this already established hybrid a run for its money. We surveyed citrus experts to learn what mandarins and other citrus varieties are on their radar.
Tango
Photo by David Karp
The only fruit on this list that’s widely available across the country, Tango was developed from the W. Murcott mandarin at the University of California Riverside Breeding Program in 2007. (The U.S. plant patent for Tango recently expired, which means it is now more widely plantable.) Tracy L. Kahn, PhD, the academic administrator, curator, and Givaudan Citrus Variety Collection endowed chair in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences at UC Riverside, says it features similar characteristics to the Sumo.
“It has a bright color rind and is fairly low-seeded,” she says. It’s easily peelable, and the nine to 10 segments of the citrus are extremely juicy. The shelf life of Tango is also impressive — it matures in late January but is readily available through April and into May.
Bingo
Currently available commercially in Florida, Bingo is a variety that recently caught the attention of Jay Spiers, associate professor of horticulture at Alabama’s Auburn University College of Agriculture, who notes its “great potential” to satisfy consumers. “It is a small-size fruit with attractive color, good peel, seedless, and the flavor is quite good,” says Spiers.
Bred by Dr. Frederick G. Gmitter at the University of Florida in Gainesville, the Bingo mandarin was patented in 2017 and traces part of its lineage to the seedless Kishu variety, a favorite of Spiers’ that is mostly limited to breeding programs.
Kinnow LS
Photo by David Karp and Toni Siebert / CVC
Kinnow LS is a genetic mutation of the seedy Kinnow orange that is common in India and Pakistan; LS stands for low-seeded). Bred by UC Riverside in 2011, it is a “personal favorite” of David Karp, a citrus researcher affiliated with the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences at UC Riverside; co-editor of the Register of New Fruit and Nut Cultivars; and compiler of its citrus section, which gathers descriptions of new varieties.
“It’s all about the flavor, which is very high in acidity, even higher in sweetness [than Sumo], and insanely high in aromatics,” he says.
Kinnow LS does have some seeds and is not as easy to peel as the Sumo citrus, but Karp ensures the extra effort is worth it when you finally taste it. “You’ll be sure to exclaim, ‘Where have you been all my life?’”
Within the U.S., this mandarin variety is still being grown on a modest scale commercially (primarily by small farms in Arizona and central California such as Bleaves Farms), but it’s certainly one to watch.
Lange Rosy Red Valencia
Photo by David Karp
Pink orange juice? Say no more. This sweet Valencia orange variety, discovered by farmer Nancy Lange in 2009, “is being commercialized on a significant scale in California [and] the fruit will be sold in supermarkets this year,” says Karp.
He adds that there are now about 40 cultivars of pink-fleshed oranges vying for the attention of growers, and ultimately of consumers who appreciate its social media–friendly aesthetic. The demand for the pink orange phenomenon gives the Lange Rosy Red strong potential to become extremely popular, especially because this particular cultivar produces a more concentrated hue than any others on the market, says Karp.
Makopon
Photo by Ohara Makoto
This easy-peeling, seedless mandarin hybrid — which originated in Nakatsu, Oita Prefecture, in Japan in the spring of 2023 — is derived from the shiranui (aka Sumo) mandarin but ripens about six weeks earlier. Makopon’s early ripening is exactly what catches Karp’s attention.
Its moderately thin orange rind is slightly darker than shiranui’s and easy to peel, with segments that separate easily and have a jellylike texture, according to Karp. Makopon is firmer than satsuma and softer than shiranui, with a distinctive aroma that is somewhat similar to shiranui’s.
Though it’s yet to be commercialized in the U.S., Makopon could eventually offer consumers an earlier taste of the rich, easy-peeling mandarin style popularized by Sumo Citrus — arriving weeks before its famous parent hits shelves.
