When winter settles in Japan, it's safe to say the fruit of choice is mikan, or mandarin oranges. A somewhat unformal tradition in many households is to gather around a warm and comfy kotatsu and dig into some juicy mikan, and they're also thought to be their tastiest in the winter season as well as helpful in terms of preventing colds.

And when mikan season rolls around, that means it's time to get peeling. While some people have their own particular way of peeling them, the "standard" way to peel one is to pull back the skin like a flower petal, starting from the stem and working down.

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) recently took to Twitter to share a way of peeling mikan that has fans of the tasty citrus shocked. The manager of MAFF's social media account shared a breakdown of how their grandmother used to peel mikans when they were a kid to make it easier for them to eat, and how they watched her do it in awe:

The trick is to peel around the edge of the head and remove it like a lid, then do the same on the other side, leaving the skin in between. you then cut away some of the remaining skin, and as you open it up, separate the fruit as well, and voila! It's like making a belt of mikan that unfolds!

The method seems to have come as a huge eye-opener to many on Twitter, with many in the replies saying they can't wait to buy some mikans to try it: