MandaRosa Salad + All About This Sweet, Rosy Citrus
Feb 04, 2021, Updated Feb 15, 2023
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This post is sponsored by Pro Citrus Network.
Love is in the air this month… our love for all things citrus, of course! And what better way to celebrate than with the beautiful shades and delicious taste of the MandaRosa?
This incredible fruit from our partners at Pro Citrus Network may look like an ordinary orange on the outside, but it reveals its magic when you slice it open. Packed with nutrition and health benefits, MandaRosas are the perfect winter pick-me-up. Pick up a pair of MandaRosas to share with your sweetheart and find out why everyone loves this rosy citrus!
What is a MandaRosa?
As with any good relationship, we love the MandaRosa for what’s inside! Though it may look like a typical mandarin orange from the outside, the MandaRosa’s flesh is a gorgeous rosy red. We think it looks just like a tequila sunrise or a glass of wine and tastes like a juicy tangerine.
The MandaRosa is grown in fertile central California but is hyperseasonal, only coming to market for around a month every year. Luckily, that month happens to coincide with Valentine’s Day! Find them in your local produce section so you can enjoy this unique fruit before it disappears again in the beginning of March.
The time you buy your MandaRosa can determine the color and flavor of its flesh. If you find your fruit has a tartness to it and is not as heavily pigmented, it was likely picked toward the beginning of the season. The flesh gains its rich pigment as the season progresses and becomes sweeter and sweeter.
One Nutritious Citrus
Unlike tangerines, MandaRosas are seedless, making them easier to enjoy. But while we love that you won’t find seeds in them, we’re more excited by what you will find: anthocyanins! These antioxidants give MandaRosas and blood oranges their red hues and are also found in blackberries, blueberries, and pomegranates. But they’re more than just a pigment. Anthocyanins are actually the most powerful antioxidants found in nature with numerous health benefits.
There are many different kinds of antioxidants, all with different uses and found in different foods. Anthocyanins are special because they can reduce blood pressure, boosting your heart health, and help prevent diabetes by helping your body maintain healthy metabolism and blood sugar levels. They also help boost your immune system, making your body more effective at fighting off illnesses.
Italian researchers have found that anthocyanins, along with other nutrients found in red-fleshed oranges, can reduce the amount of fat your body accumulates. Who knew that maintaining a healthy weight could be this tasty?
A Natural Hybrid
A few years ago, Pro Citrus Network was approached by a grower who wanted to bring a new varietal to market. PCN, known for their work with specialty citrus fruits like blood oranges and sweet limes, was interested in the new kind of orange they described: a natural crossbreed between a blood orange and a clementine.
Headquartered in Visalia, California, PCN strives to be the “go-to company” for fresh citrus year-round throughout North America and beyond. They’re always looking to bring exciting new produce to market to meet the needs of citrus lovers everywhere. So when PCN’s experts saw and tasted the rich red fruit, they knew they had to get the word out.
And so the MandaRosa was born. Officially a Mandared Variety, this special citrus first hit grocery stores in late January 2020 in natural-looking brown paper bags. Blood oranges are more popular than ever and the MandaRosa’s unique color and taste coupled with its exclusive availability made it an instant hit. And if you love this tangy fruit but wish you could enjoy it more often, you’re in luck: other red-fleshed varieties will be coming soon to stores near you!
How To Serve MandaRosas
This is a quick way to cut your oranges so they’re easy to eat — and aesthetically pleasing! These orange slices are perfect for displaying on snack boards, packing in lunches, or even garnishing drinks.
Place your orange on a cutting board with the navel and stem on each side, facing left and right. Start by slicing off both ends, removing the stem and navel and revealing a cross-section of the orange on either side.
Next, make three evenly-spaced slices in the orange, quartering the fruit into disks. Don’t pull the disks apart just yet, though!
Flip the orange onto one of the flat ends, where you removed the stem or navel. Now slice the orange in half. You’ll end up with smile-shaped slices that are easy to peel and eat!
If you’re slicing these oranges for kids, try making one more cut perpendicular to the last one. This will make small triangles, which are easy for kids to peel and eat.
MandaRosa Salad
Want to make a meal out of your MandaRosas? Try this MandaRosa Salad! Along with delicious citrus, this flavorful salad boasts toasted coconut, red onion, dates, mint, and goat cheese, all mixed in the gentle flavors of arugula. We covered it all in our own vinaigrette for an added splash of MandaRosa flavor!
MandaRosa Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 5 MandaRosas peeled with a knife and sliced
- 1/4 cup toasted coconut flakes
- 5 oz baby arugula
- 1/4 cup red onion thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup Medjool dates chopped or sliced
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- fresh mint
- crumbled goat cheese
Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup champagne vinegar
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 4 tbsp fresh MandaRosa juice
- 1 tbsp honey optional
Instructions
- Toss arugula, coconut flakes, onion, dates, and almonds together and plate. Arrange MandaRosa slices on top of arugula mixture and sprinkle with crumbled goat cheese. Garnish with fresh mint.
- Whisk together all vinaigrette ingredients until fully combined. Drizzle over salad.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A Special Citrus For Your Special Someone
Want to celebrate Valentine’s Day a little differently this year? Have a special person you want to share a moment with? Ditch the drug-store cards and forget the chocolate boxes! Instead, slice up some MandaRosas and enjoy this season with taste, style, and nutrition.
Want to share your favorite way to enjoy MandaRosas or a memory you made with them? We’d love to see it! Just snap a photo and tag us in your citrus pics on Instagram @procitrus and @theproducemoms.
