by Carole-Anne Godbout, Dt.P.,
Nutritionist/dietitian
Did you know that the term "citrus" refers to both fruits and small shrubs of the rutaceous family? Mainly present in our homes during the winter season, citrus fruits represent a family that goes far beyond oranges and clementines!
Oranges
Coming from the orange tree, it is one of the most commercialized fruits. They are classified into two groups: sweet oranges and bitter oranges.
Blood orange | Cara Cara orange |
Navel orange |
Orange with leaves |
Bitter orange Seville or bigarade orange |
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With is red flesh, it is very fragrant. |
Sister of the navel orange, its flesh is coloured, juicy and acidulous. |
Originally from Brazil, its flesh is crunchy and sweet. |
Picked at maturity on the tree, its flesh has a sweeter taste. |
Smaller than the sweet orange, its flesh is not very juicy and somewhat bitter. |
Perfect for salads and plate decorating. |
Perfect for beverages (juice, cocktails, etc.). |
It goes well with almost everything. |
Perfect as a snack. |
Mostly used for canning and to give flavour to alcohols (Cointreau, Grand Marnier, etc.). |
Mandarins
Provenant du mandarinier, les mandarines ont été introduites en Amérique qu’au XIXᵉ siècle.
Mandarin |
Tangerine |
Mineola/tangelo |
Clementine |
Mandarin Sumo |
Ugli |
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Looks like a small flattened orange. Sweet, fragrant and delicate flesh. |
Issued from the cross between a mandarin and a bitter orange. Its bark is darker. |
A cross between mandarin and pomelo, it is larger and more acidic than an orange. |
Tart and juicy flesh, but slightly less fragrant than a tangerine. |
A tasty and seedless cross between a mandarin and an orange. |
Relatively unrecognized and unattractive in appearance, it often contains a juicier and sweeter pulp than a pomelo. |
The others
Lemon |
Lime |
Kumquat |
Meyer lemon |
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The most used, it often contains no seeds. |
Also known as "Citrus aurantifolia", the lime has a juicy, very acid and green flesh. |
Also known as the "Japanese lemon tree", it is the smallest of the citrus fruits. Its flesh is rather tart. |
Slightly sweeter than the traditional lemon. |
Grapefruit or pomelo?
Two names often confused; their origins are confusing.
Grapefruit |
Pomelo |
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Citrus maxima |
Citrus paradisi |
Designated in English "grapefruit", it is a cross between grapefruit and sweet orange. |
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Spherical or piriform. Its bark can be greenish, yellowish or pinkish. |
More or less round, its rind is either yellow or pink. |
Depending on the variety, it can have a tasteless or tasty pulp, very acidic or very sweet. |
Can have a yellow, pink or red pulp whose flavours can be tart, sweet and fragrant. |
Citrus fruits et medication
Grapefruit contains substances that could alter the way the body uses the medication. For example, taking grapefruit may increase the amount of medication circulating in the bloodstream, which could have side effects. Other citrus fruits that may have similar effects are pomelo, bitter orange and tangelo. Consultation with the pharmacist is essential to determine if any restrictions apply.
References
Interaction entre le pamplemousse et son jus et certains médicaments. Gouvernement du Canada. 2006. [Online]. Page last consulted on January 27, 2020.
L’encyclopédie visuelle des aliments. « Les agrumes ». Les Éditions Québec Amérique. 2006. P. 218-226.
Les agrumes. Site internet IGA. [En ligne]. Page last consulted on January 27, 2020.
Pamplemousse et médicaments : attention ! Extenso. 2012. [Online]. Page last consulted on January 27, 2020.
Bitter orange or Seville orange.
Lemon
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