Mandared and Tango Mandarins | Mandarins.com.au

Tango and Mandared are two late-season mandarin varieties appearing more often in Australian orchards and retailers. Tango is a seedless selection bred from Afourer. Mandared is a late-season variety developed for its deep colour and extended shelf life. Both suit growers and buyers looking for quality late-season fruit from August into October.

At a glance: Tango

Season: August to October
Peel: Deep red-orange, thin, easy to peel
Seeds: Seedless (when grown under bee exclusion or as a seedless selection)
Flavour: Sweet, juicy, similar to Afourer
Best for: Fresh eating, lunchboxes, salads

At a glance: Mandared

Season: August to October
Peel: Deep orange-red, smooth
Seeds: Low seed count
Flavour: Sweet, good juice content
Best for: Fresh eating, export markets, extended-season supply

Season in Australia

Both varieties sit in the late-season window, from August through October. They complement the Honey Murcott and Afourer season rather than competing with it directly, as they can extend supply into October when other varieties are finishing.

Treecrop.com.au reported on a Western Australian grower (Harvey-based estate) trialling Tango: “We have just planted the newest mandarin to hit the market which is a seedless Afourer, or more commonly known as the Tango.” The same grower was trialling bee exclusion nets on standard Afourer to achieve seedless fruit, demonstrating that both variety and orchard technique matter for seed content.

What is Tango?

Tango is a variety bred from Afourer at the University of California, Riverside. It was developed specifically to produce a seedless fruit reliably, even in orchards where other citrus varieties are present nearby. Standard Afourer can develop seeds when bees cross-pollinate flowers from adjacent citrus blocks; Tango is bred to remain seedless regardless.

The flavour profile is very close to Afourer: sweet, juicy, with deep colour and an easy peel skin. The eating experience is essentially the same as a good Afourer. Tango is distinguished at the grower and packer level rather than at retail, where it may be sold simply as Afourer or as a proprietary branded variety.

Australian citrus operations have begun trialling and planting Tango as a way to guarantee seedlessness, which is increasingly important for both domestic retail (lunchbox convenience) and export markets.

What is Mandared?

Mandared is a later-maturing mandarin bred for deep colour and good shelf life. It is not widely discussed in Australian retail, but it is grown by some commercial operators as a late-season variety that holds colour and quality into October. The NSW Department of Primary Industries produced a variety profile for Mandared, describing it as a selection suited to late-season commercial production.

Mandared’s commercial value is in its colour and longevity. Late-season mandarins can struggle to maintain the visual appeal that drives retail sales; Mandared was developed partly to address this.

Tango vs Afourer

Tango and Afourer taste essentially the same to most buyers. Tango’s seedlessness is the key commercial difference. If you see a reliably seedless, deep-coloured mandarin late in the season at a major retailer, it may be Tango or a Tango-equivalent variety rather than standard Afourer.

For the buyer, the practical question is simple: look for Afourer or its relatives (Tango, Nadorcott) from July to October for a consistently reliable late-season mandarin.

Newer selections available in Australia

Australian growers and nurseries are introducing an increasing number of proprietary varieties and selections. Citrus Men, a specialist nursery, markets a variety they call Ponkanomi (a Kiyomi-Ponkan cross developed in Japan in 1972) as a seedless late-season mandarin. Woolworths carries several exclusive varieties including Delite, Phoenix, Amorette, and Tangold Seedless, which are late-season seedless types bred or selected for the retail market. These are broadly in the Tango/Afourer family of late-season seedless selections.

Buying and storing

Tango-type mandarins will usually be sold as Afourer or under a proprietary brand name at major retailers. Check the label for the season window: late-season mandarins labelled Afourer from August onward are likely to be Tango or similar selections rather than standard Afourer.

Store in the fridge. Tango and Mandared have good shelf life. Use within two weeks of purchase.

Growing it at home

Standard Afourer trees are widely available from Australian nurseries and suit backyard growing. Tango as a distinct variety is harder to find at retail nurseries due to plant breeders rights restrictions. The seedless Afourer dwarf from Daleys Fruit is the most accessible option for home gardeners wanting a late-season, deep-coloured, low-seed mandarin in a manageable size.

For more, see Afourer mandarin, best backyard mandarin trees, and mandarin tree care.