3. Persian Bear’s Lime
The Persian Bear’s lime is a variety of lime that has a larger, thicker rind compared to traditional limes. Its flavor is less sharp and sour, with a mild, slightly sweet undertone. These limes are often used for juicing, adding a gentler citrus flavor to both savory and sweet dishes.
4. Mexican Lime
Also known as Key lime, the Mexican lime is small, green, and intensely tart, with a thin, smooth skin. Its juice is very sour with a slightly bitter edge, making it perfect for cocktails (like the classic Margarita), pies, or as a seasoning for a wide range of dishes. Mexican limes are commonly used in Mexican and Latin American cuisine.
5. Finger Limes
Finger limes are small, elongated citrus fruits that resemble fingers and come in a variety of colors, such as green, pink, and yellow. Inside, they contain tiny, bead-like vesicles filled with tangy juice. Known as “citrus caviar,” they are used as garnishes for seafood, in salads, or as a topping for desserts, providing a burst of flavor.
6. Kaffir Lime
Kaffir limes are small, knobby, bumpy green fruits with an intensely aromatic rind and sour juice. They are commonly used in Southeast Asian cuisines, particularly in curries, soups, and stir-fries. Kaffir lime leaves, which have a unique citrus fragrance, are also a key ingredient in many dishes.
7. Washington Navel Orange
The Washington Navel orange is a large, sweet, and seedless variety of orange with a smooth, bright orange skin. Its flesh is juicy and sweet, with a mild tang. Known for its easy peel and segmented flesh, it’s commonly enjoyed fresh or used for juice.
8. Valencia Orange
Valencia oranges are medium to large, round oranges with a bright orange skin. They are famous for their balance of sweetness and acidity, making them the best variety for juicing. The flesh is juicy, sweet, and tangy, and they are often used in smoothies, salads, and desserts.
9. Cara Cara Orange
Cara Cara oranges are a type of navel orange with distinct pinkish-red flesh. These oranges are sweeter than regular navel oranges, with less acidity and a flavor profile that includes hints of berry and floral notes. They are often eaten fresh, juiced, or used in salads.
10. Moro Blood Orange
Moro blood oranges have striking deep red to purple flesh and a flavor that combines the tartness of an orange with the sweetness of raspberry or pomegranate. Their vibrant color and tangy, berry-like taste make them popular for juicing, in desserts, or used as garnishes.
11. Sour Orange
Sour oranges, or Seville oranges, are smaller, bumpy fruits with a thick rind and very sour flesh. They are rarely eaten raw but are used in cooking, especially for making marmalade, sauces, and cocktails. Their bitter, sour juice is also used in marinades, dressings, and baking.
12. Honey Mandarin
Honey mandarins are small, easy-to-peel citrus fruits that are incredibly sweet and juicy. The flesh is tender, and the skin is thin and bright orange. These mandarins are usually seedless and are often enjoyed fresh or in salads, as they are one of the sweetest varieties available.
13. Tango Mandarin
Tango mandarins are a hybrid variety that is seedless and easy to peel. They have a sweet and tangy flavor profile, with a smooth, juicy flesh that lacks acidity. Their deep orange skin is thin but sturdy, making them a favorite for snacking and a great option for lunchboxes.
14. Satsuma Mandarin
Satsuma mandarins are known for their loose, thin peel and sweet, juicy, and less acidic flesh. They are small, seedless, and easy to separate into segments, making them a popular snack. Their flavor is sweet, refreshing, and aromatic, with little to no bitterness.
15. Dancy Mandarin
Dancy mandarins are small, round, and bright orange, with a pebbly texture. The flesh is sweet, juicy, and tangy, though they tend to have a few seeds. Their distinct flavor makes them a great addition to fruit salads, desserts, or eaten fresh as a snack.
16. Kishu Mini Mandarin
Kishu mandarins are small, seedless, and easy to peel. Their flesh is sweet and juicy, with a mild tanginess. These tiny mandarins are perfect for snacking due to their manageable size, and their flavor is often considered one of the sweetest among mandarins.
17. Page Mandarin
Page mandarins are a hybrid of a mandarin and a tangelo, known for their easy-to-peel skin and juicy, sweet flesh. The flavor is a nice balance of sweetness and slight tanginess, with a smooth texture. They are often eaten fresh, used in salads, or juiced.
18. Algerian Mandarin
Algerian mandarins are medium to small in size and have a tangy-sweet flavor with a soft, juicy texture. The peel is orange and somewhat thick but comes off easily, and the fruit is often eaten fresh or used in cooking for its distinctive flavor.
19. Gold Nugget Mandarin
Gold Nugget mandarins are seedless and easy to peel, with a thick skin that easily separates from the flesh. Their flesh is sweet, juicy, and tender, with a flavor that is both rich and refreshing. These mandarins are a popular variety for snacking due to their sweetness.
20. Minneola Tangelo
Minneola tangelos are hybrids between tangerines and grapefruits, known for their bell-shaped appearance and easy-to-peel skin. The flavor is a balanced combination of sweet and tangy, and the flesh is juicy with fewer seeds. They are perfect for fresh eating or juicing.
21. Oroblanco Grapefruit
Oroblanco grapefruit is a sweeter, less acidic variety of grapefruit, with a greenish-yellow skin and pale yellow flesh. The fruit has a mild, juicy flavor that is less tart than traditional grapefruits, making it a great option for those who find regular grapefruit too sour.
22. Rio Red Grapefruit
Rio Red grapefruit is a large variety with deep red to pink flesh. Known for its sweet-tart balance, it is less bitter than other grapefruit varieties and has a rich, juicy texture. Rio Reds are ideal for juicing, eaten fresh, or used in fruit salads.
23. Valentine Pummelo
Valentine pummelos are large, round citrus fruits with thick skin and pale pink to reddish flesh. The flavor is a mix of sweet and mildly tangy, with a smooth and juicy texture. This variety is less bitter than some other pummelos and is often eaten fresh or used in salads.
24. Chandler Pummelo
Chandler pummelos are large, greenish-yellow fruits with thick, segmented rinds. The flesh is sweet, juicy, and slightly tangy, with a pink to yellow hue. They are less bitter than traditional grapefruit and can be enjoyed fresh, in salads, or juiced.
25. Balang
Balang is a variety of pummelo, often found in Southeast Asia. It is a large fruit with a thick rind and sweet, slightly tangy flesh that can range from pale yellow to pink. The fruit is juicy and refreshing, typically eaten fresh or used in traditional dishes and desserts.
26. Nagami Kumquat
Nagami kumquats are small, oval citrus fruits that are eaten whole, including the peel. The peel is sweet, while the flesh is sour and tangy, offering a unique flavor contrast. Nagami kumquats are often used in marmalades, salads, or eaten raw as a refreshing snack.
27. Meiwa Kumquat
Meiwa kumquats are round, seedless, and sweeter than the Nagami variety. The peel is sweet, and the flesh is less sour, with a mild tang. Meiwa kumquats are often eaten raw, used in desserts, or made into preserves or marmalade.
28. Calamondin
Calamondin is a small, sour citrus fruit that resembles a tiny orange. Its flesh is very sour, with a distinct, slightly bitter flavor. Calamondins are often used in Southeast Asian cooking, in sauces, marinades, or as a souring agent in dishes and beverages.
Each of these citrus fruits offers a unique combination of flavors and textures, perfect for a variety of culinary uses, from fresh snacking to enhancing savory dishes and desserts.