Island Lošinj

ORANGE (lat. Citrus aurantium L.)

Orange is a fruit that belongs to a citrus fruits group. India and China are the ancient homelands of an orange.

ORANGE IN MINE AND YOURS GARDEN

Orange is the evergreen tree. It can live up to 500 years. It has fragrant white flowers and round fruit with orange peel. In favorable conditions a tree can generate up to 1,000 fruits.

NUTRITIVE VALUE

The orange is rich in vitamin C, folic acid (vitamin from the B vitamin group), pectin, pottassium and numerous fitochemichals.

INTERESTING

Oranges are the most productive fruits following grapes and bananas.

LEMON (lat. Citrus limonium L. – limu)

Lemon is a fruit from the citrus family.

LEMON IN MINE AND YOURS GARDEN

The lemon is a small tree, 3 to 6 meters tall. The small shoots and flower petals are violet. The fruit is yellow, oval or round shaped. The skin may be slightly rough or smooth. In adequate climate the lemon tree bears fruit twice a year. In favorable conditions an adult tree renders from 600 to 800 pieces of fruit annually.

CONTRAINDICATIONS: none.

INTERESTING

In Sicily, a region that has had great difficulties with drinking water supplies, the custom had always been to place fresh lemon halves into all drinking water supplies. People knew on basis of experience that lemon disinfected water.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW

100 grams o lemon contains around 70% of daily vitamin C needs for a grownup and 7% daily potassium needs, 1% daily calcium needs and 9% daily magnesium needs. In cookery lemon juice is used as a replacement for vinegard when marinating vegetables, fish and white meat because it makes the food more tender and at the same time it does not alter its aroma. Lemon skin is used to enchance the aroma of many sweet an savoury dishes, and it is also used in making liquors and many popular drinks; for instance, the Italian liquor Limoncello.

TANGERINE (lat. Citrus reticulata)

MANDARIN IN OUR GARDENS

Mandarin is a small citrus tree from Rutaceae family and it originates from China. This evergreen tree with wide leaves can grow up to 3 m tall. Although it resembles an orange, its thick rind is easy to peel and the pulp is sweeter. The unshiu variety (Japanese mandarin) is the most common variety in Croatia, especially in the Neretva valley. Because of its resistance to cold, as it can survive short periods of temperatures up to -10°C, the unshiu has become the most important commercial variety in our country. It blossoms early with fragrant white flowers, its fruit ripens in autumn and it is picked towards the end of October. The smallest variety is the Clementine. It has a shiny rind, sweet and aromatic pulp but no seeds. Clementine is less resistant to cold, its fruit is sweeter and tastier than unshiu variety. It is also smaller than mandarin and reddish in colour, and its fruit ripens in December. It has been cultivated for over 3000 years in Japan, Uganda, and Djibouti. A mandarin tree on Lošinj can give up to 150 kg of fruit.

NUTRITIVE VALUE

100 g of mandarin (34 kcal) contain: 30 mg vitamin C, 11 mg magnesium, 33 mg calcium, 210 mg potassium. Like other citrus fruit, mandarin has low energy value, it's a good source of fibre and it has a stimulative effect on digestion and colon problems. It also contains beta-carotenes (flavonoids and terpenes) that synthesise vitamin A which is responsible for good eye-sight and healthy and smooth skin. Due to its diuretic properties, mandarin is helpful in fighting cellulite.

IMPORTANT TO KNOW

Clementine in a hybrid of sweet mandarin and sour orange and there are two theories about the origin of its name. The first claims that it got its name after a French priest Clément Rodier from the 19th century who discovered it by accidental hybridisation, while the other claims that it got it from another French priest, father Clément from the Trappist monastery in Algeria.