Mandarina

Choose one that feels heavy for its size and has fragrant, brightly coloured skin. A little looseness between the peel and flesh is common and does not mean it is spoiled.

No. The thin white pith is edible; remove only as much as you find unpleasant. To peel neatly, loosen the skin at the stem end and take it off in strips.

The zest is useful in cakes, marinades and dressings, but wash the fruit well and grate only the coloured outer layer, avoiding the bitter white pith. If you plan to eat the peel, choose fruit sold as suitable for that use.

Keep them in a cool, airy place and eat them within a few days, or refrigerate them to keep them fresh for longer. Once peeled or cut, cover and refrigerate, then use promptly.

Its sweet-tart segments lift salads with fennel, rocket, olives or toasted nuts, and pair well with duck, chicken and prawns. Add the segments near the end so they keep their shape.

Yes: use the same amount of juice or segments in sauces, baking and salads. Mandarina is usually sweeter and smaller, so taste the juice before adding sugar and allow extra fruit if you need the same volume of zest.

Clementines are a type of mandarin, while “mandarina” is commonly used as a broad name for mandarin-type citrus. Clementines are often especially easy to peel and seedless, but those traits are not guaranteed.

A 100 g portion provides 1.9 g of fibre. The edible portion of one fruit varies in size, so weigh the peeled segments if you need a precise amount.