(Μανταρίνι Χίου)
The size and quality of the fruit and its high sugar content can be ascribed to amazing weather, great exposure to the sun and properties of the soil. It has tender, tasty, slightly orange flesh with an intense aroma and quite a rough membrane.
This variety of mandarins is among the most aromatic in the world. Even when they are unripe, the persistence of their aroma will make anyone love them at the first bite. Amazingly, their aroma escapes the citrus groves, taking over the entire island, making Chios known both in Greece and abroad as 'Myrovolos' – the fragrant island.
The term Mandarini Chiou was established on the market at the end of the 19th century to identify the island with this original, sought-after product of a characteristic intense flavor. In order to preserve the fruit’s high quality, the growers of Chios invented the procedure of paper wrapping the mandarins immediately after harvesting. Read more
The earliest written evidence of this method can be found in the French travel review 'Le Tour du Monde' from 1878. These mandarins enjoy an excellent reputation and are, together with Mastiha Chiou, the prefecture's most sought after product. They are used as the basic ingredient in a wide variety of products such as marmalade, juice and sweets.
Also, they are often processed into an essential oil that can be used in bakery and the cosmetic industry.
