Taste of the Holidays

For several generations of Russians, few things signal Christmas and New Year’s better than tangerines (or, rather, Mandarin oranges or simply “mandarins,” as they are known here). Although this citrus fruit has been sold in Russia since the nineteenth century, and the cultivation of tangerines in the subtropical climate of Georgia and Abkhazia began in the 1930s, their connection to the festive table wasn’t cemented until the 1960s, when, in addition to the fruit that was grown on the Black Sea coast, the Soviet Union began to receive regular deliveries from Morocco and Israel.

Mandarins were an inalienable part of any gift basket that parents would bring home for their children; they were used as decorations on New Year’s trees, along with walnuts (usually wrapped in silver foil); and they were found on any festive table when families and friends gathered to say farewell to the outgoing year and ring in the new one with Soviet champagne. Joseph Brodsky described the spirit of the winter holidays as “the smell of vodka, fir-needles and cod, mandarins, cinnamon and apples.”

Back then, mandarins were basically one of two types of fruit available to most Soviet citizens during winter, the other being apples that would survive the winter individually-wrapped in newspaper and stored in a cool place. Today, even with the plethora of fresh fruit and berries available here year round, the heady aroma of mandarins is still enough to put almost anyone in the spirit for the holidays.

While mandarins were grown in both Georgia and Abkhazia, the classic and most beloved mandarins were always the “Abkhazian” variety. They were and are grown strictly seasonally, with no artificial light or fertilizers, and they ripened around late November-early December, just in time to temporarily flood the stores. The mandarins from Morocco and Israel came later in the winter.

Today, Russia gets its mandarins from many sources, including China, which often tries to pass its produce off as from its Abkhazian rivals, yet the fruit from this small breakaway republic remains a favorite. In addition to tapping into our shared cultural memory, Abkhazian mandarins peel easily, have very few seeds, and have a fresh, slightly sour taste, unlike other varieties, which can be either cloyingly sweet or slightly on the dry side.

While mandarins are usually eaten raw, they make an excellent filling for a simple cake that will fill your house with a holiday aroma. Look for fruits that are both juicy and not too sweet, so that you get a real burst of freshness when you bite into the cake.

Mandarin Cake

CAKE

• 2 medium eggs
• 5.3 oz of sugar (use brown for extra character or white if that’s what you like)
• ½ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tsp vinegar
• 1 ¾ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• Vanilla extract (if desired)

FILLING

• 4-6 mandarins (14-20 oz; in a pinch you can use two 10-oz cans)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp powdered gelatin

It’s best to use a round springform pan for this recipe. I use one that is 7-inches, and the cake towers slightly above it. Anything larger than 9 inches and you’ll be spreading the batter too thin. Whatever you use, line it with parchment paper so that it covers both the bottom and sides of the pan.

Peel the mandarins, separate them into segments and cut each segment in half (this helps to easily get out any seeds). Mix the mandarins with sugar and gelatin. Set aside.

Heat the oven to 350º degrees.

Beat the eggs and sugar together, then mix in the sour cream. Add the oil, vinegar and vanilla, if using. In a separate bowl, sift the flour and combine it with baking powder and baking soda. Finally, mix the contents of the two bowls together.

Pour half the batter into the pan. Next, carefully arrange all the mandarins in a single layer on top of the batter, spreading them evenly. Then pour the second half of the batter on top.

Bake for 50-65 minutes, depending on the size of your pan and the thickness of your cake.

When the cake is ready, take it out of the oven. Cool slightly, then remove from the pan and let cool completely. Dust the top with confectioner’s sugar before serving. Cut and enjoy.