I make a good deal of Mexican food and Asian food. Limes are something that I use often. To me, they have a distinctly different taste from lemons. Italians seem to think they are interchangeable. In fact, I have a very difficult time finding lime juice too. Only a couple of stores seem to have it. The last two times I went shopping I spied piles of nice limes. Of course I bought some and both times I got fooled.
You would think they were too, wouldn’t you? Well, it turns out that they are…
Yep! Tangerines. Green tangerines. I looked them up and they are Miyagawa mandarines. They are successfully cultivated in Italy in the citrus groves of Sicily, Basilicata and Calabria. Originally thought to be from China and/or Japan they thrive here. They ripen in September and October so they are the earliest of the citrus fruits. I don’t know why this is the first year I have seen them, but they are everywhere. They are sweet and good. It is not that I don’t like them, but they don’t work in my salsa or my chili.
🎶 And to top it all off, now I have that old song stuck in my head…you remember? ”My green tangerine 🎶 ” 😉
Hi Camella, yes, do try them! They are very sweet and good. When I was reading up on them it said the very fact they are the first citrus that ripens makes them popular with growers to extend the citrus season.
Hey JoAnn, glad someone else got fooled besides me! Same for me but I used one of those gadgets that squeeze the juice out…over my salsa…but it was fine but a surprise!
Now I also have that song in my head! But you also taught me something new today. I had no idea these existed. I’ll have to try them next fall. Thanks for the giggles today.
I got a giggle out of this post. I’ve had that very same experience a few times in Italy – what a surprise when I peeled the “lime!” I enjoy your posts – so real!
Hi Leah, I hoped I would put an ear worm in a few folks…but it was the Lemon Pipers who recorded it. I know the song well, but not that group well. I had to look up who did it!
Hey Matt, have a damaged knee and I’ve been staying in the apartment a lot so not getting out and about as much. I am going to the olive harvest tomorrow and will post on that, and then lunch with friends in Saturday…so stay tuned!
Ha!! Who’d ever have guessed they were tangerines?? More posts . . . more posts . . . more posts!! I’ve been going through NGTI withdrawal.
Ha! The Beatles started playing in my head as soon as I read your title. 🙂