Mandarin Oil (Italy)

Mandarin essential oil is extracted by cold expression from the peel of the mandarin fruit and is a member of the orange family. It can be produced as yellow, green or red depending upon the origin, maturity or species of the fruit. It is also considered to be one of the safest citrus essential oils for using in flavouring, fragrances and aromatherapy.

As the name suggests, mandarin plants are native to China. From there, they went to Europe and now Italy is one of the biggest producers of mandarin Oil. The tree is also grown in plantations in South America, with Brazil and Argentina the two largest producing countries.

Unlike the Citrus sinensis tree (orange oil or sweet orange) the mandarin tree is usually smaller in size. Once ripened sufficiently (depending on the desired outcome of the oil) harvesting is usually done by hand as these delicate fruits could sustain bruising or damage if mechanical harvesting equipment is used.

Red and yellow mandarin is distilled from fresh, ripened fruit peel. Green mandarin is distilled from the unripe fruit of the mandarin tree, yielding a sharper greener oil than that of red and yellow mandarin.

Apart from the obvious use as a flavouring agent in the food and beverages, we also find mandarin oil in cosmetics, body care products and perfumes. Additionally this oil has therapeutic uses. These include cytophylactic, digestive, circulatory, anti spasmodic and antiseptic uses to name a few.