The name “Amanatsu” means in the Japanese translation “Sweet Summer”. In Japan there are two “types” of this variety, the Natsudaidai and the Natsumikan, depending on the time of harvest. The Natsudaidai is harvested between January and the beginning of March, but is not eaten until mid-April. Natsumikan is harvested in late autumn and eaten from May of the next year. Because the fruits are very sour, they are stored until the acid has degraded. The sun-yellow fruit is about the size of an orange. It is eaten directly after a certain period of storage or is processed into jam, juice, ice cream, liqueur and wine. The Amanatsu was cultivated in the 1950s by a grower named Kawano in Oita on the Kyūshū island, which is why the variety name “Kawano Natsu DaiDai” is also common.

(I thank Naoko from Japan for this information)

• Edible Fruits
• Type of Fruit Hesperidium
• Culinary Group Citrus fruits
• Taste sour
• Trivial Names Amanatsu, Natsu mikan, Natsumikan, Daidai mikan, Amanatsukan, Kawano natsu daidai, Tangerine d'été, 甘夏
• Size 9 cm
• Taxonomy Rutaceae (Rue family) Citrus natsudaidai
• Origin East-Asia (Map)
• Locality Palmengarten Frankfurt (FRP) 2017