I've been seeing a lot of the California "Cuties" in the grocery stores here in Florida this year - Alan
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/foodanddrinknews/6663862/New---and-even-smaller---Clementine-goes-on-sale.html
New - and even smaller - Clementine goes on sale
Persuading fussy children to eat citrus fruits can be a daunting prospect, but a new variety of Clementine aims to help parents to tackle the problem.
By By Myra Butterworth, Personal Finance Correspondent
Published: 12:21PM GMT 02 Dec 2009
New - and even smaller - Clementine goes on sale
The new Clementiny is about the third of the size of normal Clementines, making it - what is believed to be - the smallest citrus fruit in the world, and ideal to fit into Christmas stockings and school lunchboxes.
They are easy to peel and contain virtually no pips - while the little segments fit easily into tiny hands, helping parents to get their children to eat more of the orange fruit.
The new variety joins a growing range of mini versions of fruit on offer on supermarket shelves, including baby bananas, mini mangoes and fun-sized apples.
The Clementiny has a rich flavour, which is more aromatic than traditional clementines.
Paul Cunningham, a citrus buyer at Tesco, said: These little beauties should delight youngsters and parents alike as theyre not only the perfect size for Christmas stockings but also great for school lunchboxes as well.
The little segments are great for presenting toddlers the simplest opportunity to peel, pick and ultimately eat on their own.
The new Clementiny has a vivid orange colour, which comes from a combination of the pure water and rich soil found in the remote Jianxi region of southern China, where they are grown. The areas contrasting day and night temperatures is also a contributing factor.
But parents and other consumers may end up paying a premium for the new variety. They are currently on offer at £1.50 for a 350g punnet containing a dozen Clementiny about 10p extra for eight regular sized Clementines.
