#TangerinePeel

In Thai markets, the green-skinned ส้มเขียวหวาน (som kiao wan)—the tangerine or mandarin—delights with sweet segments and bright aroma. Yet its sun-dried peel, long tucked away in kitchens and traditional remedies, is gaining attention for its potential health and beauty benefits. Modern science is now examining an ingredient that has anchored Thai culture for generations, offering insights into nutrition, pharmacology, and sustainable wellness.

Thai traditional medicine has long valued dried tangerine peel for digestive comfort, cough relief, and appetite stimulation. Across Asia, similar uses appear in Chinese herbalism and Vietnamese home remedies, where aged peel, known as chenpi, is believed to support digestive balance. Northern Thai dialects reflect regional affection for the fruit with names that echo its local importance. Beyond daily cooking, dried peel features in ceremonial offerings and festive customs, symbolizing renewal and prosperity.

Nestled among the colorful stalls of Thai fresh markets, few fruits are as beloved or as culturally significant as the green-skinned citrus known locally as ส้มเขียวหวาน (som kiao wan), or more widely as the tangerine or mandarin orange. While its sweet, juicy flesh is a popular snack across Thailand, it’s the sun-dried peel—often overlooked in the West—that has woven itself into the fabric of both culinary and traditional medicinal practices in Thai society. Today, as scientific research probes the ancient wisdom of herbal remedies, the humble tangerine peel emerges as a fascinating protagonist at the intersection of culture, nutrition, and pharmacology.