When it comes to winter fruit, mandarins are hard to beat. They mark a bright spot in the colder months – offering sweetness, ease and a juicy burst of vitamin C just when we need it most. Sure, saying goodbye to summer stone fruit can sting, but the arrival of mandarins is the kind of seasonal shift we can get behind.

Part of the appeal is just how easy they are to love: naturally sweet, low GI, packed with immune-boosting vitamin C, and far simpler to peel and eat than their citrus cousins. Pop one in your bag and you’ve got the ultimate on-the-go snack.

In Australia, mandarin season typically runs from April to October, with peak availability during the cooler winter months. Most of the country’s mandarins are grown in Queensland – particularly around Bundaberg and Gayndah – but you’ll also find thriving orchards in the Riverland (SA), Sunraysia (Vic) and parts of inland NSW.

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Mandarin varieties

From zesty Sumos to super-sweet Honey Murcotts, here’s how to tell your mandarins apart. Whether you’re after easy peeling, minimal seeds or maximum juiciness, there’s a variety for every snacking style. We break down the top types in season right now – and what makes each one so good.

Imperial mandarins

Imperial mandarins, also known as Empress, mark the start of mandarin season. They are sweet, have fewer seeds and their thin skin is easy to peel, which makes them ideal for school lunchboxes. They tend to be available from April to October.

Honey Murcott mandarins

Honey Murcotts are super-juicy and super-sweet, with a distinct honey flavour. The downside is they have lots of seeds and are more difficult to peel. But the juice is worth the squeeze. They come into season from June. 

Daisy mandarins

This variety comes out mid-season, from July to August. They tend to be on the medium to large size, have a glossy orange-red rind that’s easy to peel, and have more seeds than an Imperial but less that other varieties.

Hickson mandarins

Hickson is an Australian variety that’s easy to spot because they’re slightly bigger, have a little ‘neck’ and a lighter-coloured, glossy rind. The fruit is juicy, they have  seeds and come into season July and August. 

Afourer mandarins

Afourer mandarins hits shelves later in the season, from July to September. They’re juicy, tend to be seedless and their beautiful, orange-red skins are easy to peel.

Sumo mandarins

Sumo are appropriately named, they’re bigger than other mandarin varieties and have a little ‘man-bun’. Looks aside, they’re sweet, juicy and their availability, August to October, tends to mark that mandarin season is coming to a close.