The Kishu mandarin proves that good things can come in small packages. A delicious, easy to peel, seedless mandarin that will equally wow you with its flavor and its adorableness. Also marketed as Kishu tangerines, Kishu kisses, and Lil' Ninja mandarins.
📋 What's New In This Post (12/15/25) - Updated availability for 2025 as well as more information on how they compare to Clementines.
✍🏻 Featured Comment - Margaret says "These are the best I have ever eaten. My son bought some at the HEB in Mt. Belvieu, Texas. I can not find any in our town, Livingston, Texas. I really wish I could find more."
How I Discovered Kishu Mandarins
I was shopping in a high end grocery store over a decade ago when I found the cutest little mandarins. They were called Kishu. I had never seen a smaller mandarin. I have had the Pixie mandarins before and these were actually even smaller.
What wasn't small was the price tag - $9.99 per pound.
The next time I encountered these little mandarins was at a farmer's market in Irvine, California.
They had bags of them for $9.00 each and they had 3 pounds in each bag. Much better price. Still I wasn't seeing these too often.
I spent one winter in the south in Georgia and Florida, and I saw them there as well. The name was different, they were called Georgia Kisses.
A year later, I started seeing them at Trader Joe's. They were in bags called Kishu Kisses. No different than any Kishu I had before, but now at a place where I could more easily get them.
Then in early December of 2025, I started seeing them everywhere. Kishu Kisses in Kroger (Fred Meyer), Walmart, and even Costco. These little gems are finally available to the masses and I am more than happy to share with you all you need to know about them.
Jump to:
What is a Kishu Mandarin?
The Kishu belongs to a family of small mandarins that have their origins in China.
The Kishu are in season in the U.S. from December through February.
Look for them at farmer's market in California or in specialty grocery stores like Whole Foods Market or the Fresh Market.
There is an excellent article in the LA Times if you want to learn more about them.
They may also be marketed as tangerines. The industry has really blurred the definition of what is a mandarin and what is a tangerine. Ripe to You, the brand name for a Central California grower, sells them as Lil' Ninja mandarins.
What Do Kishu Mandarins Taste Like?
Here are my ratings (scale of 1-10) for Kishu Kisses mandarin.
| Seeded or Seedless | Seedless |
| Sweetness | 8 |
| Acidity | 7 |
| Flavor | 9 |
| Juiciness | 7 |
Here are some notes on them:
- It's a nice mandarin. It's equally balanced between sweet and acidic.
- It is extremely easy to peel as there is a pocket of air between the skin and the segments inside. I would say they are one of the easiest varieties to peel.
- The segments are really small. You probably could pop the entire thing in your mouth at one time.
- They make an excellent choice for kids' lunches. You know they would be great on a salad.
- Too small for juicing for sure and harvesting the zest would be a challenge. Kishu are best left to just enjoy as is.
How Do Kishu Kisses Compare to Clementines?
I thought I would compare them to the most commonly known mandarin, the Clementine. I am talking about the ones that are available in November to early January in bags of Cuties and Halos. They are actually different varieties throughout the season, you can read more about that here.
Kishu mandarins are way smaller than Clementines. You could eat 2-3 Kishu to equal a single average sized Clementine. The segments of Kishu are more tender. Not that Clementines can't be sweet, but my experience has been that Kishu mandarins are more consistently sweet.
The only reason I would ever pick a Clementine over a Kishu is because they are cheaper and if I wanted to zest them for a recipe such as with my Clementine Chicken recipe.
Where to Buy
Found them but couldn't find them when you went back to the store again? Here is the list of stores I have found them in:
- Walmart
- Costco
- Trader Joe's
- Kroger
- HEB
- Whole Foods Market
- Wegmans
More Mandarins You Need to Try
Or you can check out all of our citrus reviews.
✋ Have you had Kishu mandarins before? Make sure to leave a comment below and share your thoughts.
Margaret Zeglin
These are the best I have ever eaten. My son bought some at the HEB in Mt.Belvieu, Texas. I can not find any in our town, Livingston, Texas. I really wish I could find more.
Eric Samuelson
Glad you got to try them. They are a family favorite for us. They aren't super widely available, likely HEB is the only option. I have enjoyed that store every time I have been.
Barbara
Just tried them for the first time. They were
marked down to 1.50. They are delicious. Went back and bought more. What a bargin.
Eric Samuelson
Wow that is a great bargain Barbara! Where did you get them?