There are two modern species of orange, Citrus aurantium (the bitter or Seville orange) and Citrus sinensis (the sweet orange). Their wild ancestors originated in China and India, but these days they are cultivated mainly in Brazil and the USA, with contributions from Israel, Spain, South Africa, Australia and Malta. Interestingly, the early Chinese valued them for their peel rather than their pith. Perfume and flavouring were harvested in preference to the edible flesh, and orange oil is still highly valued among aromatherapists, perfumiers and herbalists (1). The current world production of oranges is around 50 million tons annually.
History of the Orange
The Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama brought oranges from India via the Cape of Good Hope in 1498, and it was from here that the fruit eventually spread to Europe. Christopher Columbus brought oranges, among other things, to the New World in 1493. The two species were introduced to the shores of Haiti, where they thrived in the Caribbean climate, spreading to Florida and California by 1739.
Modern Varieties of Orange
There are six well-known categories of cultivated orange.
- Bitter or Seville oranges - destined for the UK marmalade industry, which requires the traditional aromatic tang of the peel within its recipe to satisfy the British breakfast palate.
- Common or sweet oranges come in a number of varieties, including the Valencia, Pera and Jaffa.
- Blood oranges are grown mainly in Italy, notably Sicily, where the red pigment (anthocyanin) develops best in the cold winter nights and cool days of the island. The colour arose as a chance mutation around 400 years ago, a reminder that plants use the same mechanism as animals to feed the process of natural selection.
- Navel oranges are recognised by a "baby fruit" visible at the apex. They are a subtropical variety, large and easy to peel, with a rich flavour.
- Acidless oranges are found in Brazil, Italy and North America. With a low acid content they are bland in flavour compared to other varieties.
Nutritional Analysis of Oranges
- Oranges contain a lot of water (85%), so their overall nutritional content is low. However, with only a modest 80kcals per fruit, they are an ideal snack for the the weight conscious, if you don't mind the messy bits.
- The bonus is their high vitamin C content, which can give you up to 150mg per (large) orange, equivalent to almost 400% of your daily requirement (2). The downside is that prolonged storage of oranges and other fruit & vegetables en route to the supermarkets reduces the vitamin C content significantly, by as much as 20% in a month.
- Depending on how much of the pith and peel you consume, there is a healthy 4g of fibre per orange, plus a generous splash of mineral salts including potassium and calcium.
The Essence of the Orange
- The volatile oil from the peel, often extracted by hand, is difficult to preserve and is mixed with 10% olive oil to give it a workable shelf life.
- It is employed widely as a flavouring, fragrance and essential oil used by Aromatherapists.
- Marketed as Oil of Bigarade (Bitter Orange), Oil of Portugal (Sweet Orange) or Neroli Oil (from the flowers), it commands a high price, especially when it finds its way into expensive Eau-de-Cologne formulations (3).
- Medicinally, it has been used to ease congestion in chronic bronchitis and as a mild nervous stimulant and tonic. In contrast, the wine and liquor (Cointreau) have more of a sedative effect!
References
- Davidson A. (2008) The Penguin Companion to Food. Penguin Books.
- Food Standards Agency (2002) The Composition of Foods. Royal Society of Chemistry.
- Grieve M. (1992) A Modern Herbal. Tiger Books
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