Tangerine is an orange or red coloured citrus fruit. It is smaller than most oranges. The skin of some varieties can be peeled off easily. The taste is often less sour, or tart than an orange. During Chinese New Year tangerines are symbolic of good luck. The word for tangerine has the same pronunciation as "good luck" in Chinese. Tangerines with leaves intact assure that one’s relationship with the other remains secure. For newlyweds, this represents the branching of the couple into a family with many children. Good quality tangerines will be firm to slightly hard, heavy for their size, and pebbly-skinned with no deep grooves, as well as orange in coloured. Tangerines are most commonly peeled and eaten out of hand. The fresh fruit is also used in salads, desserts and main dishes. Tangerines are rich source of vitamin C, folate and beta-carotene. Besides it also contains potassium, magnesium and vitamins B1, B2 & B3.

Tangerine

Tangerine peeled

Mandarin Orange

Canned Mandarin Orange

Historically, the name tangerine comes from Tangier, Morocco - the port from which the first tangerines were shipped to Europe. The adjective tangerine, from Tangier or Tanger, was first recorded as an English word in 1710.

Mandarin orange or mandarin is another fruit resembling the oranges. The fruit is oblate, rather than spherical and roughly resembles a pumpkin in shape. During Chinese New Year mandarin oranges are symbolic of wealth, the word for mandarin orange having the same pronunciation as "wealth". It is an important item for the household. Traditionally during the New Year a pair of mandarin oranges and red envelopes of money is placed next to the pillow of every child in the family. This stands for "Dai Gut Lai See" literally means good fortune and good business. The same items are placed on top of the tray of togetherness "Chyuhn Haap" - the circular box containing New Year’s preserves and candies, as well as above the family rice container, to bring good fortune for the home.

Mandarin oranges are usually eaten plain or in fruit salads. It is very convenient to eat as it can be peeled off easily by hand without spilling its juices.

Mandarin orange dried peels are also used widely as traditional Chinese medicine. The peels are used to treat abdominal distention, enhance digestion, and to reduce phlegm.

Mandarin oranges and tangerines are symbols for abundant happiness. Etiquette dictates that you must bring a bag of oranges and tangerines and enclose a “Lai See” when visiting family or friends anytime during the two-week long Chinese New Year celebration; in essence to give and wish them happiness. In addition, it is customary for them to return this gesture to you by giving you oranges and tangerines as well.

Kumquats are slow growing, evergreen shrubs or small trees (from 2.5–4.5 meters tall) with dense branches. Sometimes they bear small thorns. The leaves are dark glossy green. The flowers are pure white, similar to other citrus flowers which borne singly or clustered in the leaf-axils. Kumquat is pronounced Gumgut in the Cantonese, the kumquat is a pun for gold (gum), and for good fortune “Dai Gut”. The Cantonese love to decorate their homes and workplaces with pots of kumquats. This is a symbol of bringing good fortune and wealth. Candied kumquats are one of the necessary preserves for the New Year.

Kumquats resemble a miniature oval orange, 3–5 centimeters long and 2–4 centimeters wide. Depending on variety, peel color ranges from yellow to red. Kumquat fruit is generally in season from late autumn to mid-winter, and can be found in most food markets with other produce. Kumquats are frequently eaten raw. As the rind is sweet and the juicy center is sour, the raw fruit is usually consumed either whole, to savor the contrast, or only the rind is eaten. The fruit is considered ripe when it reaches a yellowish-orange stage, and has just shed the last tint of green.

The pomelo or Chinese grapefruit is a citrus fruit, larger than a grapefruit, with sweet flesh and thick spongy rind. Pomelo symbolizes abundance and prosperity, in Cantonese the word for “pomelo” sound like the word for “to have”. The green pomelo, which becomes yellow when ripe, is a common sight in the shops before the Chinese New Year. It is a delicious fruit, and the rind can be used in Chinese cooking. The Chinese believe it is important to have at least one pomelo in the house for decoration, or better still, to have a pair, since good things always come in pairs. To use a pomelo to decorate one’s home during the New Year implies a wish that the home will have everything it needs the coming year.

The pulp color ranges between clear pale yellow to pink to red, and tastes like a sweet, mild grapefruit. It is the largest citrus fruit, growing as large as 30 cm in diameter and weighing as much as 10 kg; the peel is thick, and is sometimes used to make marmalade. The tangelo is a hybrid between the pomelo and the tangerine. It has a thicker skin than a tangerine and is less sweet. The peel of the pomelo is also used in Chinese cooking or candied.