Rangpur
Citrus × limonia · Rutaceae · also known as Rangpur lime, Mandarin lime, Lemandarin, Cravo (Brazil)
An orange-skinned citrus hybrid of mandarin and lemon that looks like a small tangerine but is fiercely acidic — a "lime" in flavor with a mandarin's color and aroma, used for marmalade, cordials, and a famously good gin and tonic.
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At a glance
- Taste
- Very sour and juicy with a distinctive mandarin-lime aroma; the orange flesh and rind smell sweet and tangerine-like, while the juice is as sharp as a lime, making for a uniquely fragrant acidity.
- Origin
- India and South Asia (a natural hybrid); widely grown in Brazil
- Grown in
- India, Brazil, United States, Philippines
- Peak season
- Winter
Sensory & practical profile
Taste fingerprint
- Sweetness
- Tartness
- Aroma
- Juiciness
- Firmness
Approximate, at peak ripeness · 0–5
- Ripe when
- Deep glossy orange and slightly soft with a sweet mandarin aroma — but the juice stays lime-sharp, so don't expect sweetness.
- How to eat
- Don't eat it like a mandarin — squeeze the sour, fragrant juice into gin and tonics, cordials, and cooking, and use the rind for marmalade.
- Typical price
- Everyday
The rangpur looks exactly like a tangerine and smells like one too — then delivers the sour punch of a lime, a mismatch that makes it a cult favorite for an unusually fragrant gin and tonic.
When it's in season, by region
| Region | Peak months |
|---|---|
| South Asia | Nov–Feb (India) |
| Latin America | Year-round in Brazil (as cravo) |
How to select & store
Picking a ripe one
Choose deeply orange, glossy, heavy fruit that gives slightly; the aroma should be sweet and mandarin-like even though the juice is sour. Thin-skinned fruit is juiciest.
Storing it
A week or two refrigerated. Juice and freeze for cordials and cocktails; the fruit is used for its juice and rind rather than eaten fresh.
Practical uses
🍽️ Culinary
- The classic gin and tonic garnish and acid (a celebrated pairing)
- Marmalade and cordials from the aromatic rind and sour juice
- A lime substitute with a mandarin perfume in cooking and drinks
- Juiced into refreshing sour beverages
🌿 Health & traditional
- Vitamin-C-rich; used like other sour citrus in home remedies
🎎 Cultural
- Named for Rangpur in Bengal; grown across Brazil as "cravo," largely as citrus rootstock
- Prized by gin lovers for making an exceptionally fragrant tonic
Eating rangpur: what to know
What regular consumption looks like
Rangpur is a nutritious everyday fruit, best enjoyed as part of a varied diet. It is a good source of vitamin C (about 40 mg per 100 g), supporting immune function and helping the body absorb iron from plant foods.
Sensible amounts
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
Evidence & conditions
As a whole fruit, Rangpur contributes fibre, vitamins, and beneficial plant compounds, but it has not been shown to treat or prevent any specific condition — so it is best enjoyed as part of a healthy diet rather than as a remedy.
Rangpur: frequently asked questions
What does rangpur taste like?
Very sour and juicy with a distinctive mandarin-lime aroma; the orange flesh and rind smell sweet and tangerine-like, while the juice is as sharp as a lime, making for a uniquely fragrant acidity.
When is rangpur in season?
Rangpur is typically in season South Asia (Nov–Feb (India)); Latin America (Year-round in Brazil (as cravo)). Peak months shift between the northern and southern hemispheres.
How do you eat rangpur?
Don't eat it like a mandarin — squeeze the sour, fragrant juice into gin and tonics, cordials, and cooking, and use the rind for marmalade.
How do you know when rangpur is ripe?
Deep glossy orange and slightly soft with a sweet mandarin aroma — but the juice stays lime-sharp, so don't expect sweetness.
Is rangpur good for you?
Rangpur is a nutritious everyday fruit, best enjoyed as part of a varied diet. It is a good source of vitamin C (about 40 mg per 100 g), supporting immune function and helping the body absorb iron from plant foods.
How much rangpur should you eat?
A typical fruit serving is roughly a handful, one medium fruit, or about 80 g, and two or more varied fruit servings a day is a sensible everyday pattern.
The rangpur plays a trick on your senses. It looks exactly like a small tangerine — deep orange, glossy, fragrant — and it even smells sweet and mandarin-like. Then you taste the juice and get the sharp sour punch of a lime. This natural hybrid of mandarin and lemon is a “lime” in flavor wearing a tangerine’s coat.
Fragrant acidity
That combination — mandarin aroma, lime acidity — makes the rangpur a specialist’s delight. Gin lovers prize it above all for an exceptionally fragrant gin and tonic, where its perfumed sourness outshines an ordinary lime; it also makes superb marmalade and cordials, and stands in as a lime with a citrus-blossom twist in cooking. Named for Rangpur in Bengal and grown across Brazil as cravo (mostly as hardy citrus rootstock), it’s rarely eaten fresh — this is a juice-and-rind fruit through and through. For citrus enthusiasts, it’s one of the most intriguing hybrids out there: proof that color and aroma can promise one thing while the juice delivers another entirely.
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