Tangerines Vs. Oranges

Many people believe that tangerines and oranges are the same fruits. This however is not true at all. In fact the difference between them start to show even before they actually grow! If you look at both the trees, they look totally different from each other. Orange trees usually grows to around thirty feet in height and have evergreen leaves on them. Tangerine trees are much smaller in height, around twenty feet and have shinier leaves and flowers which have a very strong odor. To have an in-depth understanding on the difference between tangerines and oranges, let us compare them on various counts such as size, nutrition, taste, acidic value, etc.

Comparison

There is one similarity between tangerines and oranges and that is, both of them are citrus fruits. Although both of them belong to the same orange family (Tangerines being a variety of Mandarin Orange), yet when it comes to their shape or their taste or even smell, they are quite different.

Origin
It is believed that tangerines originated and were first grown in two Asian countries, namely, Japan and China. It is also believed that China, Japan and Uganda have been growing and cultivating this citrus fruit for over two thousand to three thousand years. On the other hand, oranges are believed to have been originated in some south-east Asian countries.

Size
As compared to oranges, tangerines are smaller in size. In fact it is due to their small size and rinds which can be removed very easily, that many people prefer to carry tangerines along with them as emergency food.

Contents
The rind of the orange is very hard and not easily removable, when compared to that of a tangerine. When it comes to the segments within the peel, those of a tangerine can be separated easily, in comparison to the segments of the orange. Oranges have lesser seeds in them than tangerines which are full of seeds.

Taste
Oranges have a sweet and somewhat sour taste. On the other hand, tangerines are less sourer and more tart-like in taste.

Acidity
Compared to tangerines, oranges have a higher acidic value. It could probably be due to the size, since oranges are bigger in size, their acidic value is greater too. On an average, a single orange's pH value is anywhere between 2.4 to 3.

Nutritional Value
The nutritional value of tangerines and oranges varies too. Hundred grams of tangerine consist of 13.34g of carbohydrates while oranges consist 11.54g of carbohydrates. The sugar and fat content of tangerines per hundred grams is around 10.58g and 0.31g respectively, per hundred grams. While for oranges, sugar is 9.14g and fats are 0.21g. The protein content too differs, with tangerines having 0.81g of proteins and oranges 0.70g of proteins, per hundred grams.

If you compare between tangerines and oranges on the vitamins and nutrients they contain, then you will find that both of them are extremely healthy for the body. Oranges have a good amount of vitamins such as A, B and C in them, besides being rich in potassium, calcium, phosphorus, fibers, folic acid, iron, sodium, magnesium and sulfur. Tangerines themselves are a good source of folate, beta carotene, potassium, magnesium and vitamin B. So, for a healthy body, it is recommended to include both these citrus fruits in the diet.