Good thread, Q. -

When I was a kid in Seattle, my dad (a world war vet who fought in the Pacific) would not allow us to buy anything Japanese. His fear was that once they became economically strong again, they would engage us in war. At Christmas, however, my mom was allowed to buy us a box of Japanese oranges. Thus it became traditional.

They were so easy to peel! I loved the way the frilly membrame clung to the fruit. I liked the way they fell into segments alsmost by themselves and the fruit was so sweet and juicy!

In Canada, Mandarin oranges are more common but, once in awhile I score a box of Japs. The problem with Mandarins is that they are a bit 'hit and miss'. Sometimes they are sweet and sometimes not. Sometimes they are hard to peel because of their thin skin.

I have also grown to appreciate the California navel. If it is in season and organically grown, I would choose the navel orange over a Mandarin or a Jap.

Good writing, Cat.

Chestnuts - I don't care about, however, a friend from Montreal made a sweetened chestnut paste that was much better than the chestnut alone. We rolled it and dipped it in chocolate and yum - yum!