Where did Jeju Island’s tangerines come from?

On Jeju Island, tangerines and Mandarin oranges (called mangam in Korean) emerge each month in slightly different flavors and shapes. The best native varieties are selected and then crossbred with one another to create a higher-quality strain—this never-ending cycle of crossbreeding and improvement produces dozens of types of tangerines. Tangerines are believed to have arrived in Jeju Island during the Three Kingdoms Period. Indeed, the tangerines that we enjoy today may very well be the result of many different flavors and textures that have been cultivated and crossbred for centuries. Jeju tangerines are the embodiment of the island’s centuries of history as well as its unlimited potential.