Shekwasha Mandarin

Shekwasha, also recorded as Shiikuwasha, is a small, sour mandarin. UCR catalogs its CRC 2448 accession as Citrus depressa Hayata and says the accession’s parents are unknown. Its CPB label reads Citrus pectinifera “Squeequassa” Tanaka, Japan; that label documents the accession but does not settle the variety’s geographic origin.^⁠[1]⁠[6]

At Riverside, UCR lists October–November ripening for CRC 2448. Citrus ID describes Shekwasha fruit as broader than long, with a slightly rough or leathery rind, orange flesh, and an acidic-sweet taste. Broader Shikuwasa culinary reporting describes the juice in marinades, sauces, desserts and drinks.^{⁠[1]⁠[6]⁠[9]}

Taste reports describe distinct fruit samples. In a 2023 video, fruit purchased from Winterwarm Farms was reported at 12 g and 13 °Brix, with medium sweetness and no bitterness. A separate 2026 North Carolina greenhouse sample measured 14 °Brix and was described as very easy to peel, strongly sour and slightly astringent. Its video and matching scorecard describe the same tasting; the pH value was only an estimate.^{⁠[5]⁠[4]⁠[3]}

The Mulberries presenter reports that his one-year Shekwasha plant did not survive exposure to 10°F; this is a single-plant observation, not a cultivar temperature limit. Shekwasha also appears in breeding studies involving the S10 pummelo–mandarin rootstock and somatic hybrids. The seedling and hybrid observations belong to those derived materials, not to Shekwasha trees or fruit.^{⁠[4]⁠[7]⁠[8]}