All essential oils of green, yellow and red mandarin are made from the same fruit, but are produced at different times of the ripening process. Green tangerine oil comes from the peel of unripe or green fruits. Red mandarin is obtained from the peel of the fruit when it is fully ripe, and has a red or orange color. Yellow Mandarin comes from the peel of fruit when it is partially ripe.
Although all three mandarin oils are similar in chemical composition and application, each of them is still somewhat unique, because the ripening process slightly changes the chemical profile and aroma of the resulting oil.
Yellow mandarin has a light, tart, piquant and refreshing citrus flavor.