CHARACTERISTICS
In Algeria in 1900, children in an orphanage used to pick and eat fruit only from the same tree. One day, Father Clément, who was in charge of the harvest, was intrigued and picked a mandarin (at first so known) from that tree, ate it and discovered a tender, sweet and seedless fruit. Thus was born the Clementine!
It was a variety mainly cultivated on the western shore of the Mediterranean, vigorous and compact in appearance, probably a natural hybrid between a common mandarin and an orange.
It is characterised by lanceolate leaves with a pointed apex, small, white, fragrant flowers.
The mandarin-like fruits consist of orange flesh, moderately juicy, bitter and with few seeds.
Like the mandarin, it can be peeled and divided into wedges easily. The taste, on the other hand, is more like an orange, with a perfect balance of sour and sweet.

USES
The Clementine fruit is a real vitamin bomb to enjoy, often preferred to the orange as it never exceeds in acidity and is easier to peel.
In cooking, it is normally used in its natural state but can also be used for juices, jams, sorbets or syrups.
In cosmetics, the clementine is used in the preparation of tonic lotions and skin masks.