The cool way to peel a mandarin, according to a Japanese grandma

Become a mikan master with this neat hack, endorsed by the Japanese government.

How do you peel a mikan? It’s a question you may have never thought to ask before, but here in Japan it’s something that’ll come to mind during winter, when people up and down the country peel the sweet citrus with neat precision.

Usually, the main course of action is to peel the mikan in segments from the bottom outwards, leaving the peel intact at the bottom so it branches out like the petals of a lotus flower. 

▼ Peels usually look like this once the mandarin’s been eaten.

However, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) recently suggested a new way to peel a mikan that caught the attention of a lot of people in Japan. MAFF shared the “mamechishiki” (“bean of knowledge“), as tidbits of trivia are known in Japan, in a tweet that was both heartwarming and surprising, saying:

“My grandmother used to do this a long time ago, and I remember watching it when I was little as if it was magic. When I try it myself now, it’s surprisingly easy to do… Am I doing it right, Grandma?”

12月3日は #みかんの日
ベルト状に房を並べる みかんの皮のむき方。
祖母が昔よくやってくれて、小さな頃はまるで魔法みたいだなって眺めてたのを覚えています。今、自分でやってみると、意外と簡単にできるんだな・・・おばあちゃん、これで合ってますか？ pic.twitter.com/5inKWEtNCe

— 農林水産省 (@MAFF_JAPAN) December 3, 2022

As the accompanying image shows, the way of peeling a mikan here looks very different to the method we’re used to seeing. Instead of the fruit sitting whole, surrounded by peel, the top and bottom of the peel is removed first, allowing the middle section to unfurl like a belt. It’s arguably a better way of peeling a mandarin, as it cuts out the additional step of tearing individual segments of the fruit away after it’s been peeled, and many online agreed, saying:

“What a clever method!”
“Wow, this is so cool!”
“I tried it and now I’m never going back!”
“Eating it this way is so much fun!”
“Definitely going to peel mikan like this from now on!”

So the next time you go to peel a mikan, why not give this method a try? And once you’re done eating the fruit, don’t throw those peels away — grandma has a whole other myriad of uses for them as chimpi, which is another eye-opener!

Source: Twitter/@MAFF_JAPAN via Net Lab
Photos © SoraNews24
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!

Credit: