Do you have a hard time telling citrus fruits apart when shopping through the produce section of the grocery store? Then you are not alone
Minneola and sumo are two varieties of citrus fruits a lot of people have a hard time distinguishing.
These fruits are bred for their sweetness, easy-to-peel rinds and segments that separate easily.
Their peels are bright orange in color and in addition, these two citrus fruits are known for their characteristic protrusion on the stem end of these fruits which makes it harder distinguishing them.
Minneola is a tangelo; a hybrid of a grapefruit and a mandarin. Minneola is a cross between Duncan grapefruit and Dancy tangerine
Sumo is also a hybrid citrus but is gotten by crossing Navel and Mandarin oranges.
Apart from this, these two fruits have other unique characteristics which we are going to explore in this post.
Table of Contents
What is Minneola?
Minneola is a tangelo. Tangelos are hybrids between Tangerines and grapefruits
This tangelo is a hybrid of a ‘Dancy’ Tangerine and a ‘Duncan’ Grapefruit,
It was developed in Florida in 1931 and was named after the town of Minneola in Florida.
Minneola is not commercially cultivated on a wide scale and can be difficult to find
These fruits are often called honey bells as they are shaped like bells. They are elongated on the stem end.
Minneola has a reddish orange rind that is easy-to-peel and a glossy and smooth textured surface
This fruit is very juicy and may.be seedless or contain only a few seeds
It is also rich in fiber and vitamin C
What is sumo citrus?
Sumo is actually a brand name of dekopon, a citrus fruit that was developed in Japan in 1972.
It is a hybrid variety produced by crossing Navel oranges and Mandarin oranges; a tangor and tangerine.
Sumo is characterized by a distinctive topknot, hence its name sumo; a reference to the resemblance to the topknot hairstyles adorned by sumo wrestlers.
The name of this fruit is also trademarked
Sumo is a very sweet citrus fruit. The rind which is bright orange in color is very easy to peel and the fruit has no seeds.
It also has a thick and wrinkly rind.
This fruit takes a very long time to breed, and they are also quite expensive
This fruit is very rich in fiber, calcium and vitamins.
Sumo has a wrinkly Rind
Sumo has a wrinkly peel while Minneola has a smoother peel
Although their rinds have similar color, the textures are different
The rind is thin in Minneola with a smooth surface but thick and wrinkly in sumo citrus
Sumo is less acidic and tart
They are both considered to be some of the sweetest and juiciest citrus fruits, which contributes to their appeal.
Minneola and sumo are also both used to make sweet desserts.
However, sumo has a less tart and acidic flavor compared to minneola.
