Tangerine Time

Nets, bags, string bags, sacks,

hats, ties, knocked to one side.

The smell of the holiday, pine needles, cod,

tangerines, cinnamon and apples.

That's how (well, almost) Joseph Brodsky wrote in his poem "At Christmas, everyone is a bit of a Magi." And really, what does the New Year smell like? A Christmas tree, Olivier salad, herring under a fur coat. For most of us, the most New Year's smell is the smell of tangerines. But how did this citrus become New Year's? Today we'll figure it out.

Tangerines are the fruits of the tree of the same name, which belongs to the genus Citrus and is a close relative of oranges, lemons and limes. It comes from southern China, but is not found in the wild. It is actively cultivated in India, the Indochina countries, China, South Korea and Japan. It is also widespread throughout the Mediterranean. The fruits of the tangerine tree ripen in November-December.

Residents of Russia became acquainted with tangerines in the 70s of the 19th century. At that time, the fruits were imported from Germany. But twenty years later, tangerine plantations appeared in Abkhazia. This makes citrus fruits more accessible to Russians, and, most importantly, greatly simplifies logistics. And having ripened in early December, tangerines are just right for the Christmas table.

True, tangerines still remained a delicacy for the rich for a long time. Then it was customary to wrap them in gold and silver foil and use them as Christmas tree decorations, which were eaten after the holiday.

The tangerine became a “New Year's” tangerine already in Soviet times. In 1963, their import from Morocco was established. Dry cargo ships with vitamins just managed to reach Soviet ports by December, and orange citrus fruits were practically the only fresh fruit on the New Year's table. And so it has been since then.

Now you can buy tangerines all year round, but the highest demand for them is on New Year's Eve. This tradition is passed down from generation to generation, and those who, as children, ate fragrant orange fruits sitting under the tree, today pass this tradition on to their children.

Today, there are so many tangerines in Kamchatka that your eyes run wild. Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, less often Iranian and Abkhazian, large and small, sour and sweet, with or without seeds. Choosing a fruit to your taste among such a variety is not an easy task. But there are still some tips on finding the perfect tangerines. Ripe fruits can be identified by their characteristic aroma, they have a uniform and bright color. It should be easy to peel. Greenish spots may indicate that the tangerine is not ripe.

Tangerines, like other fresh fruits and vegetables, are good for your health. They contain a lot of vitamin A and C. Citrus is rich in antioxidants and fiber, which has a beneficial effect on digestion.

However, you should not abuse orange fruits, everything is good in moderation, and if you eat a box of overseas delicacies in one sitting, then not only your conscience will torment you. The body will not say thank you for such experiments either. Tangerine "overdose" threatens allergic reactions, hives and intestinal problems. And the acid contained in the fruit negatively affects tooth enamel. It is not recommended to eat a lot of tangerines for those who have stomach problems - citrus increases acidity and can exacerbate gastritis and ulcers.

And if suddenly such a paradoxical situation happened that you bought too many tangerines and you can’t eat them, then you can make, for example, a dessert from these fruits. And you can also bake pies with citrus fruits, make jelly, soufflé and jam. There are also many New Year's salads from tangerines. For example, with hard cheese, garlic and mayonnaise. We haven’t tried it, but on the Internet they write that it’s delicious, although a little unusual.

Give your friends tangerines

in this windy and angry weather.

Bring them without words, without reason,

as harbingers of the New Year.

Give them happiness from childhood,

expectation of a miracle in routine.

A sure-fire remedy for the blues

give them in a simple tangerine.

This is already modern creativity, the lines were written by the author under the pseudonym Alex Brut in 2018. Tangerines, as a symbol of the New Year, are mentioned in poetry and prose, used in photography and cinema. And this despite the fact that today, in the era of developed logistics, supermarkets and marketplaces, we can buy the most exotic fruits at any time of the year and even with home delivery. After all, going to the market and bringing home a string bag with real New Year's tangerines is still only possible at the end of December.

Mikhail Yudaev, RAI "KAMCHATKA-INFORM"

Photo by the author.