the little orange that could.

something happens this time of year in the produce department that makes my heart skip a beat. a very special little orange makes an appearance. and, for a brief moment in time, i find myself in citrus heaven. welcome, back, satsuma, i have missed you.

what is a satsuma? you may also see it labeled simply as a mandarin or as a stem & leaf mandarin. it all depends on where you are shopping. well, a satsuma is a mandarin orange. and it usually still has a little bit of stem and quite possibly a leaf attached. they are smaller than navel oranges, but usually are larger than clementines. like the clementine, they are easy to peel. incredibly easy to peel. and the sections are plump, super sweet, and not pithy. i find them to be sweeter and juicier than clementines, not to mention slightly more satisfying. they are a beautful fruit, too, with bright orange skin. it's not just turkey and cranberries and squash and pumpkin pie right now, there is a thriving citrus season upon us, and it's not a bad thing with the concurrent arrival of cold and flu season to introduce more vitamin c into our lives. this is the high point of the satsuma season, pretty soon they will be gone from grocery stores and markets, a mere sweet memory. but, for now, they are here and they are delicious and i am a happy bird, full to the brim with vitamin c.