Versatility has made mandarins a staple in households

Mandarin varieties are doing well as a crop and in popularity, the Satsuma is especially popular for grocery store customers. “Mandarins have really taken off this past year,” said Monique Bienvenue with Bee Sweet Citrus. “They’ve become a new household favorite because of their great attributes and health benefits.” 

Bienvenue noted that various cultures like to use citrus during the holidays, so Bee Sweet’s marketing team utilizes the season to really push out the varieties. Bee Sweet’s mandarin varieties (such as Satsuma, clementine, murcott, tango, golden nugget and page) are grown in three different districts in California and product is distributed throughout major retailers in the USA and Canada.

Consumers seem to be taking note of the fruit’s versatile qualities: they’re easy to peel, predominantly seedless and make a great portable snack. “They’re really becoming a staple in people’s diets,” explained Bienvenue. “Their versatility has also allowed them to take off in the foodie market.”

The most common – W. Murcotts – are go-to's for the everyday customer, but the less mainstream varieties are picking up with other buyers. “I find that most consumers will stick to the varieties that they’re most familiar with, but chefs, foodies and bloggers tend to gravitate towards the more obscure varieties (such as golden nugget),” said Bienvenue. “There’s a lot more experimentation going on in the foodie industry and I think that niche market will shed light on these interesting varieties.”

Bee Sweet is a sponsor of Produce for Kids’ Power Your Lunchbox Campaign. For every online pledge taken, the campaign’s partners donate $1 to Feeding America®, providing 11 meals to families in need. “The Power Your Lunchbox logo will be placed on our mandarin packaging during the second half of the campaign,” said Bienvenue. “We’re also going to highlight the health attributes on our packaging as well.”

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Monique Bienvenue