What is the difference between a “classic” mandarin and a seedless mandarin ?
They are not the same fruit and in fact each type has its own peculiar characteristics.

Classic Mandarin

The origin of classic mandarins, like that of other citrus fruits, is not well defined. Most likely they originated in southern China and were introduced to the West at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
The mandarin (e.g. Havana variety, Tardivo di Ciaculli, etc.) has a typical yellow-orange color with a thick peel rich in essential oils. The shape is flattened at the poles and slightly rounded. The pulp is light orange with an aromatic taste tending towards sweet and has seeds inside. The quantity of seeds depends on the type of mandarin.

Seedless Mandarin

The classic seedless mandarin is the Clementine or mandarancio, particularly widespread in Calabria (but also in Basilicata and Puglia) where it has found optimal soil and climate conditions.

The Clementine seems to have been isolated at the beginning of the 1900s by Father Clément Rodier in Algeria and is a natural hybrid. It probably comes from the cross between a Havana mandarin and a sweet orange or between a Havana mandarin and a bitter orange.
The Clementine is characterized by an orange peel, not very thick and smooth, while the shape is rounded. The pulp is seedless and has a very sweet taste. The different types of Clementine mandarins cover a harvest period that goes from October to February.

Nutritional characteristics

The seedless Clementine mandarin has a high content of vitamin C (49 mg/100 g) and vitamin A (12 µg/100 g), as well as a low caloric intake (47 kcal/100 g), as there is a high water content that makes them particularly juicy. The classic mandarin also has a good content of Vitamin C (42 mg/100 grams) and vitamin A (18 µg/100 g), while the caloric intake is 72 kcal/100 g.

On this site you can order both the organic Tardivo di Ciaculli mandarin (available approximately from January) and the organic seedless Clementine mandarins (starting from November).