1978

This is a satsuma.
From the mandarin family.
Originated in Japan. But this guy was grown in California.

These little oranges remind me of my parents. They somehow discovered them (long before clementines were abundant and in vogue) and kept a stash during our New Jersey winters in our frigid mudroom.
The smell and the taste is a complete throwback to my childhood. Thinking about those days makes me miss my dad. He ate very little fruit other than cantaloupe and grapefruits. And satsumas.

My mom arrives for her 3 month stint in Maine on December 1. We'll hoard these little oranges together!