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Tangerine

Q: Is Tangerine natural or synthetic?

. Extraction: Cold pressing of the peel of tangerine cultivars (mandarin-type citrus with looser skin). The method is identical to other citrus expression — mechanical rupture of flavedo oil glands without heat. Major producers: United States (Florida), Brazil, China, Morocco. Yield and pricing are comparable to mandarin oil..

CITRUS SMELLS / citrus · fruity · fresh

Tangerine

Category	CITRUS SMELLS
Subcategory	citrus · fruity · fresh
Origin
Volatility	Top Note
Botanical	Citrus reticulata
Appearance	colorless to orange clear liquid
Odor Strength	Medium
Producing Countries	China, Spain, Turkey, Brazil, Japan, Egypt, United States
Pyramid	Top

Bright, zesty, and slightly greener than mandarin. Tangerine occupies the middle ground between mandarin's sweetness and orange's roundness — familiar citrus with a livelier edge.

Scent
Terroir & Origins
The Full Story
Fun Fact
Extraction & Chemistry
In Perfumery

Scent

Brighter and greener than mandarin, with a zesty, slightly herbaceous edge that mandarin's tangy sweetness lacks. Less round than sweet orange, less acidic than lemon, with a clean, energetic quality. The overall impression is familiar citrus rendered slightly sharper — the zest is more present than the juice. A faint green-leafy undertone connects it to aromatic herbs.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Bright, zesty citrus burst — greener and more energetic than mandarin, with a clean herbaceous flash

After a few hours

Softer citrus warmth with a balanced sweet-tart character — less tangy than mandarin

After a few days

Faint, clean citrus trace — disappears at a similar rate to other citrus top notes

Terroir & Expressions

Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.

The Full Story

Tangerine and mandarin are commonly treated as the same species (Citrus reticulata) but differ in cultivar selection. Tangerine is typically smaller, deeper-orange, slightly more acidic and zestier than the rounder, sweeter mandarin. Both yield cold-pressed peel oils with closely related but distinguishable chemistry.

Chemistry

Tangerine and mandarin peel oils are limonene-dominant (~80–95%) with characteristic methyl anthranilate (CAS 134-20-3) [A] — the grape-skin / orange-blossom angle that distinguishes the mandarin group from lemon, lime and orange. Tangerine carries methyl anthranilate at ~0.5–1%, mandarin slightly higher (~0.8–1.5%) and more pronounced in the dry-down.

Sources & Notes

[A] PubChem CID 8635 — methyl anthranilate, CAS 134-20-3. The mandarin-group signature compound. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/8635.

Did You Know?

Did you know?

The word 'tangerine' comes from the Moroccan port city of Tangier, through which the fruit was first exported to Europe in the early 19th century. The fruit acquired its Western name from a shipping route, not from any botanical distinction.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Cold pressing of the peel of tangerine cultivars (mandarin-type citrus with looser skin). The method is identical to other citrus expression — mechanical rupture of flavedo oil glands without heat. Major producers: United States (Florida), Brazil, China, Morocco. Yield and pricing are comparable to mandarin oil.

↑ See Terroir & Origins for origin-specific methods.

Molecular Formula	complex mixture (limonene C₁₀H₁₆ ~90%, key component)
CAS Number	8008-31-9
Botanical Name	Citrus reticulata
IFRA Status	No known restrictions
Synonyms	MANDARIN · TANGERINE ORANGE · CITRUS RETICULATA
Physical Properties
Odor Strength	Medium
Lasting Power	4 hours at 100.00%
Appearance	colorless to orange clear liquid
Flash Point	121.00 °F. TCC ( 49.44 °C. )
Specific Gravity	0.82500 to 0.85000 @ 25.00 °C.
Refractive Index	1.47100 to 1.47400 @ 20.00 °C.

In Perfumery

Tangerine is a top note providing bright, energetic citrus between mandarin's sweetness and orange's roundness. The peel oil (cold-pressed) contains 85-95% limonene with supporting gamma-terpinene and myrcene. Lower methyl N-methylanthranilate than mandarin gives a less tangy, more straightforward character. Tangerine is adaptable across colognes, fresh-green blends, fruity florals, and citrus-spice accords. It pairs with neroli, petitgrain, ginger, and green herbs.