Some attribute their discovery to Father Clement, a monk in Algeria who was tending his mandarin garden when he found a natural mutation he nurtured the fruit tree and subsequently called it “Clementino.”

The origin of clementines is shrouded in mystery. Halo mandarin oranges (clementines) are Mother Nature’s perfect snack – 100 percent California-grown here in America, these treats are sweet, juicy, seedless, and easy for little hands to peel. I’ve always associated them with the holiday season, and I can’t get enough! Clementines are great Thanksgiving fruits for after that big holiday feast or else they make festive (and healthy) Christmas stocking stuffers. Kids love them, and we often see these popular oranges in the store packaged in three-pound bags or boxes.įrom November to January or February, the most popular of the mandarin oranges is the clementine (with the Murcott variety of mandarin orange appearing later in the season).

Whether they’re marketed by the Halo or Cutie brand name, however, they’re both a type of mandarin orange, a small, flattish citrus fruit with a loose skin and typically seedless flesh. For example, we sometimes call sweet potatoes “yams” and refer to cabbage that looks purple as “red cabbage.” We also call the little oranges that we see in the stores this time of year “Halos” or “Cuties.” The world of produce can often be confusing.

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Halo brand clementines