Dancy (citrus) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dancy |
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|---|---|
| Species | Citrus reticulata |
| Cultivar | 'Dancy' |
| Marketing names | zipper-skin tangerine, kid-glove orange |
| Origin | Orange Mills, Florida, United States |
The Dancy tangerine is a special type of citrus fruit. It used to be one of the most popular tangerines in America, but now it's hard to find in stores. People sometimes called it a zipper-skin tangerine or kid-glove orange because its peel is so easy to remove.
The Dancy tangerine first appeared in 1867. It grew from a seed planted by Colonel Francis L. Dancy. It got the name "tangerine" because its parent plant, the Moragne tangerine, was thought to come from Morocco.
Dancy tangerines have a strong, sweet taste. Their juice has a richer flavor than regular orange juice. The peel is thin and easy to take off, like a zipper. It has very little of the bitter white part (called pith) inside. This makes the peel good for eating fresh or using to flavor dishes, like tangerine beef. The Dancy might be a pure mandarin, unlike many other citrus fruits that are mixtures of different types.
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What is a Dancy Tangerine?
The Dancy tangerine is a type of mandarin orange. A scientist named Chōzaburō Tanaka once thought the Dancy was very similar to a Japanese fruit called obenimikan. He also thought it was like the Keonla and Ladu mandarins from India. Another way of classifying citrus, called the Swingle system, places the Dancy in the main mandarin group, Citrus reticulata.
Why Did Dancy Tangerines Become Rare?
Until the 1970s, most tangerines eaten in the US were Dancys. But now, they are not grown much for selling. Why?
- They are too delicate to ship long distances without getting damaged.
- They can get a fungus called Alternaria.
- They produce a lot of fruit one year, and then much less the next year.
- Their thin skin loses water when stored, making them dry out.
- It was hard to pick them using machines.
- Some newer tangerine types can handle cold weather better than Dancy.
In fact, 2012 was the first year since 1874 that no Dancy tangerines were sold in the US market. However, you can still buy Dancy trees from nurseries to plant in your own backyard!
New Fruits from Dancy Tangerines
The Dancy tangerine is like a parent to many other types of citrus fruits. These are called hybrids.
Hybrids with Pomelos
Some fruits are a mix of Dancy and a pomelo, which is a large citrus fruit. These include:
Hybrids with Oranges
Other fruits are a mix of Dancy and an orange. These are:
- Dweet tangor
- Mency tangor
- Pixie
- Frua (which is a mix of Pixie and Dancy again)
Scientists once thought that Dancy was also a parent to the Orri and Fortune hybrids. But genetic tests have shown that this is not true.
