Is it an orange? Is it a mandarin? When it tastes this good does it matter? Learn about the Sumo Citrus mandarin (they are technically not an orange). Where to buy it and when they are in season. Learn about other names you may see them called.
📋 What's New In This Post (3/21/26) - Added new photos and a list of other names the fruit goes by.
✍🏻 Featured Comment - Charles says "Sumo mandarins are the best fruit you will ever eat. I simply love these mandarins I usually find them at Ralph’s and I buy $30 -$35 worth about 10 to 12 for that price. I have to be careful to make them last a week. I could polish them off in 3 days easily because they are so delicious. My, my, my I don’t even mind the price due to the fantastic taste. What about sharing with friends, NOPE! If they want them they can buy their own. If that is rude then so be it. I just don’t keep them out for prying eyes to see. Keep them tucked away in the fridge."
Sumo Oranges: 15 Years of Enjoying This Citrus
Let us turn back the clock to the winter of 2011. I was reading an article in the Los Angeles Times about the arrival of the Dekopon to the United States. This was a huge deal for the American citrus industry as they did not know if this fruit could be grown and grown well in our country. It has been popular in Japan for many years.
I have learned that this piece of fruit was full of flavor, easy to peel like mandarins are, but came as a fruit the size of a Navel orange. I had to have it. It wasn't long that I bought my first one. I have spent the last 15 years encouraging people to at least buy one Sumo each citrus season.
I have created this guide to share my experience, to help you navigate the season that I find seems long and short at the same time.
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Jump to:
- Sumo Oranges: 15 Years of Enjoying This Citrus
- 🍊 What is Sumo Citrus?
- 📛 Other Names They Go By
- ❄️ When are Sumos in Season?
- 🚜 Where Are They Grown?
- 💲 How Much Do They Cost?
- 💸 Why are They More Expensive?
- 🔔 Are They the Same as Honeybells?
- 🛒 Where to Buy
- 📧 Sign Up for Our List
- 🍋 Other Types of Citrus to Buy
- 🍬 Sumo Citrus Fudge
- SUMO Citrus Fudge
🍊 What is Sumo Citrus?
The best tasting mandarin I have ever had in my life! Let us take a moment to break down what Sumo Citrus is with this handy dandy table:
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Common Name | Sumo Oranges |
| Trademark Name | Sumo Citrus |
| Original Name | Dekopon |
| Type of Fruit | Mandarin |
| Company | Suntreat (part of AC Foods) |
| Origin of Name | The name comes from the knob on top of the fruit that resembles a sumo wrestler. This is also a nod to their Japanese roots. |
| Size | Large mandarin that is the size of a Navel orange |
| Peelability | Easy to peel. It'spossible to peel in a single piece. |
| Flavor | Sweet, rich mandarin flavor with some acid |
| Texture | Very tender and juicy without being messy. When you separate the segments your hands stay clean. |
| Seeds | They are generally seedless. Every so often you may find a seed or two but this is considered rare. |
RELATED - To learn more about the origin of Sumo Citrus, read our post "Sumo Citrus - From Tree to Your Hands"
📛 Other Names They Go By
Suntreat was the first to grow Dekopon in the United States. It was a matter of time before other growers would get in on it. Since the Sumo name is trademarked, other growers either have to sell them as Dekopon or come up with their own trademarked name. I have seen several other names pop up in recent years. This can cause some confusion but rest assured it is the same variety of fruit with a different name.
These names include:
- Sno-Mandarins (Family Tree Farms)
- Big Honeys
- King Citrus
- Shiranui
- Dekoz
Do all of these taste as good as Sumo Citrus from Suntreat? The jury is out on that one. It takes a special skill to grow this piece of fruit and grow it well. So far I haven't found one that beats Sumo Citrus. I have not tried everyone else's but of the limited ones I have tried, they have not been as sweet.
❄️ When are Sumos in Season?
The best time to find Sumo Citrus is late December through mid to late April.
The season lasts longer now than it did years ago as more trees have come into production increasing supply. When Sumos were first being shipped, fruit was reaching stores first in February. Now you can pretty much get them right after the ball drops in NYC on New Year's Eve and often even before Christmas. In fact, I found a Christmas theme Sumo Citrus display at a Fred Meyer store before.
I have found them still hanging around in as late as near the end of April. There are now some Sumo Citrus that are imported from Australia. They are in season in September and October.
🚜 Where Are They Grown?
As I stated earlier, the fruit started off in Japan. The Dekopon that are marketed as Sumo Citrus are grown in the central part of California mainly in the San Joaquin Valley.
In recent years, I have discovered that they are also grown in Florida and Georgia. They are also grown in Australia and shipped here during their winter, which would be our summer.
For the 2025-2026 season, Noble Citrus out of Winter Haven, Florida called their Dekopon, King Citrus. I actually found them in December first, before I saw any Sumo Citrus.
💲 How Much Do They Cost?
The price I see most often is $3.99/pound. I have seen them for a dollar more and a dollar less. I have seen both Kroger and Trader Joe's price them per fruit instead of by the pound.
💸 Why are They More Expensive?
You are likely wondering why are they more expensive than other varieties? The reasons are legit. They are harder to harvest and grow than other mandarins and oranges. The "knob" on the top of the Sumo can easily be damaged, so they have to harvest into small bins, instead of large crates like they do with other types of citrus. This increases the labor cost.
In 2022, I started seeing smaller fruit in 2-pound bags at Sprouts for $5.99 a bag.
🔔 Are They the Same as Honeybells?
The picture directly above is a Honeybell in a tree in Florida. While they may share some similarity in appearance, Sumos and Honeybells are not the same. Honeybells are a Tangelo - a cross between a mandarin and a grapefruit. The taste and texture is very different. Sumos have a lighter colored orange skin as well. Honeybells are very popular in the state of Florida.
Sumos are not the same as a Minneola either, which in fact is the same fruit as a Honeybell but grown in a different regions, like California and Arizona.
You should be able to recognize the difference easily, even though I have seen grocery stores screw this up.
🛒 Where to Buy
The list of locations below are stores that are expected to carry Sumo Citrus or have carried in the past. The independent stores may be missing from this list as they are harder to track.
Kroger has gone pretty big on them before, so make sure that if you have a Kroger store or Kroger owned store nearby that you check it out. Whole Foods is pretty good about stocking them throughout the season. They usually have them on sale at some point. Sprouts is another store that creates big displays of them from time to time. You can also find them in warehouse membership stores like Costco and Sam's Club.
For specific store locations, see the comment section below. You can help me with that by leaving a comment and letting us know where you found them.
- Albertsons
- Aldi
- Bristol Farms
- Central Markets
- Costco
- Cub Stores
- Dorothy Lane
- Gelson’s Markets
- Giant
- H Mart
- Hannaford Market
- H.E.B.
- Haggen
- Hy-Vee
- Jewel Food Stores
- Jungle Jim's International Market
- Kroger
- Lunds/Byerlys
- Market Street
- Nugget Markets
- Pavilions
- Publix Supermarkets
- Raley’s
- Ralphs
- Roundy’s
- Safeway
- Sam's Club
- Save Mart
- Shaw’s Supermarkets
- Shop Rite Stores
- Sobeys
- Sprouts Farmers Market
- Star Market
- Stop & Shop Supermarkets
- Target
- Trader Joe's
- The Fresh Market
- United Supermarkets
- Wegmans
- Weis Markets
- Whole Foods Markets
- Vons
- Zion Markets
📧 Sign Up for Our List
Want to always know when Sumo Citrus hits the store or any other fun, flavorful fruit varieties? Sign up for our Seasonal email list below.
🍋 Other Types of Citrus to Buy
Looking for some more unique and/or flavorful citrus like the finger limes in the photo above, give these varieties a try.
🍬 Sumo Citrus Fudge
No reason to just toss out the peel and its zest, it can be used just like you use any orange or lemon zest. Want to know a really fun way to use it? Make fudge! I have a very simple to make fudge recipe that you are going to just love.
For further instructions, check out our Sumo Citrus Fudge post.
SUMO Citrus Fudge
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups fine sugar
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 drop yellow gel paste food coloring
- 1 drop red gel paste food coloring
- 10 oz white baking chips
- 2 tablespoons SUMO Citrus juice
- zest of 1 SUMO Citrus
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions
- Line a 8 x 8 baking pan with wax or parchment paper. You can spray the paper with a little bit of oil to make sure it doesn't stick (optional)
- Place the sugar into a food processor. Process for 30 seconds until the sugar is fine.
- Combine sugar, milk, and butter in a medium saucepan. Heat the pan to just melt the butter, then bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Boil for 5 minutes, do NOT stir during this time.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the white baking chips and food coloring. Keep mixing until it completely melts. It may look like it won't fully melt but just keep stirring.
- Stir in the juice and zest.
- Quickly place into your 8 x 8 pan. Smooth out with a spatula.
- Allow to completely cool to set up before cutting.
Joseph Garnier
Sumo is available at The Market in Key Center Washington for $7/lb.. Overpriced but worth it since I can't find any nearby locations.
Jody
Awesome find! Thank you! Purchased at the Kroger store in Jackson.
Eric Samuelson
Yeah, they are the best. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your find.
Eric Samuelson
Oh my goodness that is the most "Sumo" price I have seen this season. Here they have been no more than $4.99 a pound but usually around $3.99.
Julie
I just purchased some in a California Safeway for $2.99/lb! I absolutely love these oranges and have to hide them from my kiddos!
Travis
You can find Sumo Citrus at The Dairy 2271 Foothill Blvd., La Canada Flintridge, CA 91011 (@TheDairyLA on Instagram)
Eric Samuelson
Thanks for sharing!
Donna Carpenter
Always so happy when Sumo show up at our local Publix Store here in SW Florida. Friends tried to convince us Honybells were the same thing, do not be fooled! These are the best!
Eric Samuelson
You are correct. They are definitely not the same thing! You can't peel a Honeybell that easily. Shape is somewhat similar but I think they are pretty easy to tell apart.
Charles Elkins
Sumo mandarins are the best fruit you will ever eat. I simply love these mandarins I usually find them at Ralph’s and I buy $30 -$35 worth about 10 to 12 for that price. I have to be careful to make them last a week. I could polish them off in 3 days easily because they are so delicious. My, my, my I don’t even mind the price due to the fantastic taste. What about sharing with friends, NOPE! If they want them they can buy their own. If that is rude then so be it. I just don’t keep them out for prying eyes to see. Keep them tucked away in the fridge.
Eric Samuelson
I love to hear your passion for Sumos!