30+ Mandarin family

Mi gan is Mandarin for mandarin. For 2,500 years, China has had public officials called mandarins. The official language of the court was Mandarin and mandarin fruit is thought to have got its name from the bright orange robes worn by mandarins.

Mandarins were first cultivated in China's Nanling mountains. Now, there are hundreds of varieties grown around the world. Satsumas are named after Satsuma province in Japan where they naturally hybridised from mandarin varieties. Clementines are a natural hybrid from Algeria. Tangerines are a mandarin variety that got their name from the port of Tangiers, a staging post on their journey to Europe.

The tradition of an orange citrus fruit in the toe of a Christmas stocking comes from a tale about St. Nicholas. He is said to have dropped sacks of gold down a poor man's chimney so that the man could provide dowries for his daughters. The satsuma and chocolate gold coins in a Christmas stocking represent these dowries.

The mandarin family is high in vitamin C. It is also a source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, potassium, copper, calcium, manganese and fibre. Their phytonutrients are anti-inflammatory and antioxidant. They are neuroprotective and support eye, skin and heart health.

They can be eaten as a snack or in a fruit salad. They can be used as marinades and glazes, in muffins, cakes, cookies, tarts, curds, jams, jellies, marmalades, popsicles, gremolatas and garnishes. They can be used in savoury dishes such as salsa, ceviche, salads, stir-fries and rice dishes. They can be made into juice or liqueurs such as Cointreau.