Tangerine Season: How Halla-bong, Cheonhyehyang and Others Differ
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
Late autumn to spring brings a variety of Korean tangerines (gyul), from open-field mandarins to many hybrid citrus types. ‘Noji gyul’ refers to field-grown mandarins; using a cover called ‘Tyvek’ under trees raises sugar content by over 3 Brix. Mannam-type hybrids (crosses of mandarins and oranges) ripen later. Hwanggeumhyang is golden in peel and flesh, round with thin skin and little fiber. Halla-bong (named after Mt. Halla) is large, very juicy and very sweet. Red-hyang has a reddish tint, 13+ Brix and low acidity, making it a popular gift. Cheonhyehyang (named as “a thousand-ri fragrance”) is large, flat, thin-skinned and sweet-tart. Kara-hyang, a spring niche crop introduced in 2013, is highly aromatic and very sweet (13–16 Brix) with easy-to-peel skin. All these citrus fruits are rich in vitamin C, flavonoids and beta-carotene, which support immunity, skin health and reduce inflammation; diabetics should monitor sugar intake.
