Who introduced the orange in Spain?
Civilizations before the Moors had seen the introduction of the orange in Spain and its cultivation had already begun in many areas of Asia. The Romans had also cultivated them in the conquered areas of Africa. However, when the Empire fell in the fifth century and looting began, trade between the continents and Europe failed to see the orange. It was reintroduced by the Moors centuries after they overthrew the unpopular reign of the Visigoths in Spain.
Their advanced irrigation techniques (as mentioned in “The Influence of the Moors on Spanish Life”) helped them populate the groves with the fruit described by Greek legends as the “golden apple” given to Hera on the day of her wedding with Zeus. The name of this famous fruit derives from the Moorish Sanskrit word “Narangah” and evolved into the English word “orange” used today.
How many different types of orange are there?
There are two scientific classifications of the orange that can be divided into bitter and sweet. The bitter orange is the fruit first introduced by the Moors and is better known today as the Seville orange. The bitter orange is not an edible fruit and in the time of the Moors it was used mainly for religious, marital and medicinal purposes, as well as to flavor drinks. Today this orange is mainly exported to Great Britain, where it is used to make marmalade based on a recipe that first appeared in a cookbook in 1587. There is very little marmalade made in Spain.
What are the most common varieties?
It was Christopher Columbus and the conquistadors who introduced the orange to the New World more than five centuries ago. The Valencia variety is one of the sweetest and this fruit, in addition to Spain, is also cultivated in the US and South America for processing into juice: one of the staples of America that is listed on its stock exchange. Navel oranges are a mutated species and this variety was discovered in Brazil and is specifically unique due to its shape. El Sanguin – the blood orange is most common in Spain and Italy and is commonly used to make juices as well as enjoyed as a whole fruit.
What health benefits does orange contain?
Orange has a lot of good stuff, packed with vitamin C, ascorbic and folic acid, vitamin B6, antioxidants, pectin (which is also extracted from apples), and dietary fiber, as well as many minerals.
Vitamin C along with these other properties can prevent free radical damage that can cause cancer within the body. It can also reduce the effects these radicals have in inciting asthma, rheumatism, and osteoarthritis. Antioxidants dissolve cholesterol buildup and delay serious health problems like heart attacks and strokes. Diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, cholera and diabetes can also be prevented, as well as reduce anxiety from gallstones.
The healthiest part of the orange is in the peel (epicarp), which is often discarded in the squeezing process. Well cleaned oranges can be grated and the zest used to flavor many different types of food preparation. There are plenty of tasty recipes on the internet that use this much-neglected part of the fruit – an ideal way to get the vitamin C content you need, as well as tantalize your taste buds with added flavour. Some brands of alcohol also use the zest in their liqueurs.
How do you grow an orange?
Unlike the olive tree that is written about in my other article “The Romans and the olive tree”, the orange tree is not as robust and is susceptible to many diseases, as well as frost, so a careful knowledge of the crop. Additionally, most commercial oranges shipped globally must be able to survive the journey, and the hardiest versions are those that come from grafted trees.
Seeds from these trees are produced on established seedlings (rootstocks) and then grafted onto an existing tree bud that determines the variety. This cultivation method also helps selective breeding, such as tree size, productivity, and sustainability. However, this affects the quality, but produces oranges that would otherwise not be available to those countries that cannot produce them.
Besides juice, jam and whole fruit, what else can we use an orange for?
These are the most commonly used forms of an orange, the flower is used for perfume and to make tea in Spain. Beehives located in orange groves can give honey its characteristic flavor. The orange wood is used to make sticks called cuticle removers for manicurists, as well as to flavor barbecues by burning it as fuel. The bark can also be used as a slug repellent.
