Japanese Mandarins
I love Japanese Mandarin Oranges. These things are like candy. I could eat a whole box in a day or two (it’s my annual fruit allotment).
I remember when I got started on shipping (all those long years ago) the founder of the company I worked for told me how they were Agents for the ONE vessel that would come over every year with the season’s mandarin oranges. This was before reefer (refrigerated) or container vessels so it was just a regular bulk carrier (sometimes WW II vintage liberty class). The holds would be criss crossed with a lattice work of two by four boards seperating all the palettes. The hatchcovers would be left open (weather permitting) en route and then the sea air would flow around the crates and boxes cooling them. Not all of the oranges made it…and several disappeared in longshoreman quality control checks, but the oranges made it here - oh and they were damn expensive.