Clementine di Calabria (Calabrian clementine)
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IGP Clementine di Calabria is an Italian clementine without pips, bright orange in colour, not less than 16-18 mm in diameter, with juicy aromatic pulp. The fruit is distinguished from other clementines by being speckled and juicy, with a better balance between sugars and acids.
GEOGRAPHICAL AREA:
The production zone comprises the area of the Calabria region which is suitable for growing clementines (only a significant percentage of the municipalities bordering the sea).
HISTORY:
After 1950 the cultivation of the clementine spread in Calabria, where it found the conditions of its natural habitat.
METHOD OF PRODUCTION:
By traditional techniques which respect the environment and are appropriate for maintaining perfect equilibrium and development of the plant. In particular, the areas used have specific soil characteristics (silt and clay content less than 60%, limestone content not more than 15%) which, together with appropriate irrigation measures and planting and cultivation methods (e.g. compulsory minimum distance from mandarin trees), allow quality citrus fruit to be obtained, using specialized cultivars and relevant selections or mutant forms.
LINK WITH THE GEOGRAPHICAL ENVIRONMENT:
The production of clementines is highly dependent on climatic conditions. In the zones with the mild and stable climate which is typical of the geographical area in question, the fruit can fully develop its external and internal quality characteristics. A 1994 study by the University of Catania showed that the climatic conditions in the production zone made it eminently suitable for growing clementines. The choice of areas with suitable soil and methods of cultivation which allow products with unique organoleptic characteristics to be obtained, including the characteristic absence of pips, are of fundamental importance. It is the only clementine which ripens very early, at the beginning of October.
Reference: The European Commission