Orange (fruit)

Orange
Orange blossoms and oranges on tree
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Subclass: Rosidae Order: Sapindales Family: Rutaceae Genus: Citrus
Species or hybrids
Citrus sinensis or Citrus x sinensis Citrus aurantium or Citrus x aurantium

In botany, orange refers to any of several types of small, evergreen trees or shrubs bearing round fruit and belonging to the genus Citrus, and in particular applies to the sweet orange (Citrus sinensis in many taxonomies) or the Seville, sour, or bitter orange (Citrus aurantium in many taxonomies). The term also refers to the edible fruit of this plant, which is orange, yellowish, or reddish when ripe and has a leathery, oily rind.

Citrus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae (orange family) and a common name for edible fruits of this genus. Other members of the genus include lemons, limes, citrons, grapefruit, pomelos (pummelo, pommelo), and mandarins (tangerines). Citrus fruits are a distinctive berry with the internal parts divided into segments. The taxonomy of the genus is complex and the precise number of natural species is unclear, as many of the named species are clonally-propagated hybrids, and there is genetic evidence that even the wild, true-breeding species are of hybrid origin.

The orange is a hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo (Citrus maxima) and tangerine (Citrus reticulata). It is a small flowering tree growing to about 10 meters tall with evergreen leaves, which are arranged alternately, of ovate shape with crenulate margins and 4–10 centimeters long. Although originatng in Southeast Asia, the trees thrive around the world in warm-climate (tropical and sub-tropical) regions, including Portugal, Spain, North Africa, and the United States (the world's largest producer) (Herbst 2001).

The word "orange" ultimately comes from a transliteration of the Sanskrit naranga, which comes from the Tamil naru ("fragrant") (Herbst 2001). The fruit typically has 11 individual pieces inside and in Tamil, the word "Orangu" translates to "6 and 5" implying 11. In a number of languages, it is known as a "Chinese apple" (e.g. Dutch Sinaasappel, "China's apple").

Overview

All citrus trees are of the single genus Citrus and remain largely interbreedable; that is, there is only one "superspecies" which includes lemons, limes and oranges. Nevertheless, names have been given to the various members of the citrus family, oranges often being referred to as Citrus sinensis and Citrus aurantium. Fruits of all members of the genus Citrus are considered berries because they have many seeds, are fleshy and soft, and derive from a single ovary. An orange seed is called a pip.

The citrus plants are small trees or large shrubs, reaching 5 to 15 meters tall, with spiny shoots and alternately arranged evergreen leaves with an entire margin. The flowers are solitary or in small corymbs (a branched cluster of flowers with lower flowers having longer stems). Each flower is 2 to 4 centimeters in diameter, with five (rarely four) white petals and numerous stamens; they are often very strongly scented.

Citrus is likely the most widely planted fruit for direct human consumption in the world (Katz and Weaver 2003).

The distinctive fruit is a hesperidium, a specialized berry with the internal fleshy parts divided into segments (typically 10 to 16) and surrounded by a separable rind (Katz and Weaver 2003). The herperidium is globose to elongated, 4 to 30 centimeters long, and 4 to 20 centimeters in diameter. The rind is leathery and the segments, or "liths," are filled with pulp vesicles. The name herperidium is derived from classical mythology, based on the golden apples grown in the garden of the Hesperides, the daughters of Hesperus (Katz and Weaver 2003).

Mandarin oranges or mandarins, with some cultivars also commonly called tangarines

The taxonomy of the genus is complex and the precise number of natural species is unclear, as many of the named species are clonally-propagated hybrids, and there is genetic evidence that even the wild, true-breeding species are of hybrid origin.

Cultivated Citrus may be derived from as few as three or four ancestral species. Katz and Weaver (2003) claim that the generally accepted view is that there were three primordial Citrus species—Citrus medica (citrons), Citrus maxima (pumelos), and Citrus reticulata (mandarins)—and that all other types of citrus rose from single or sequential hybridization events between these species or their offspring. The hybridized types of citrus may or may not be recognized as species according to different taxonomies. Thus, anywhere from 3 to 170 species are recognized, with the commonly used system of Swingle recognizing 16 species (Katz and Weaver 2003).

Citrus ×sinensis - Sweet orange Citrus ×aurantium - Bitter orange

Oranges originated in either India, Vietnam or southern China.

Varieties of sweet orange

Persian orange

The Persian orange, grown widely in southern Europe after its introduction to Italy in the 11th century, was bitter. Sweet oranges brought to Europe in the 15th century from India by Portuguese traders, quickly displaced the bitter, and are now the most common variety of orange cultivated. The sweet orange will grow to different sizes and colours according to local conditions, most commonly with ten carpels, or segments, inside.

Portuguese, Spanish, Arab, and Dutch sailors planted citrus trees along trade routes to prevent scurvy. On his second voyage in 1493, Christopher Columbus brought the seeds of oranges, lemons and citrons to Haiti and the Caribbean. They were introduced in Florida (along with lemons) in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, and were introduced to Hawaii in 1792.

Navel orange

A peeled sectioned navel orange. The underdeveloped twin is located on the bottom right.

A single mutation in 1820 in an orchard of sweet oranges planted at a monastery in Brazil yielded the navel orange, also known as the Washington, Riverside or Bahie navel. The mutation causes navel oranges to develop a second orange at the base of the original fruit, opposite the stem. The second orange develops as a conjoined twin in a set of smaller segments embedded within the peel of the larger orange. From the outside, the smaller, undeveloped twin left a formation at the bottom of the fruit, looking similar to the human navel.

Because the mutation left the fruit seedless and therefore sterile, the only means available to cultivate more of this new variety is to graft cuttings onto other varieties of citrus tree. Two such cuttings of the original tree were transplanted to Riverside, California in 1870, which eventually led to worldwide popularity.

Today, navel oranges continue to be produced via cutting and grafting. This does not allow for the usual selective breeding methodologies, and so not only do the navel oranges of today have exactly the same genetic makeup as the original tree, but also, they all can even be considered to be the fruit of that single, now centuries-old tree.

On rare occasions, however, further mutations can lead to new varieties.

Valencia orange

The Valencia or Murcia orange is one of the sweet oranges used for juice extraction. It is a late-season fruit, and therefore a popular variety when the navel oranges are out of season. For this reason, the orange was chosen to be the official mascot of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Spain. The mascot was called "Naranjito" ("little orange"), and wore the colours of the Spanish soccer team uniform.

Blood orange

Orange output in 2005

The blood orange has streaks of red in the fruit, and the juice is often a dark burgundy colour. The fruit has found a niche as an interesting ingredient variation on traditional Seville marmalade, with its striking red streaks and distinct flavour. The scarlet navel is a variety with the same diploid mutation as the navel orange.

Varieties of Seville or sour orange

• Citrus aurantium subsp. amara is a spiny evergreen tree native to southern Vietnam, but widely cultivated. It is used as grafting stock for citrus trees, in marmalade, and in the liqueurs Triple sec, Grand Marnier and Curaçao. It is also cultivated for the essential oil expressed from the fruit, and for neroli oil and orange flower water, which are distilled from the flowers.
• Seville orange (or bigarade) is a widely-known, extremely tart orange now grown throughout the Mediterranean region. It has a thick, dimpled skin and is prized for making marmalade, being higher in pectin than the sweet orange, and therefore giving a better set and a higher yield. It is also used in compotes and for orange-flavored liqueurs.
• Bergamot orange, C. aurantium subsp. bergamia is cultivated in Italy for the production of bergamot oil, a component of many brands of perfume and tea.
• Chinotto, from the myrtle-leaved orange tree, C. aurantium var. myrtifolia, native to Italy
• Daidai, C. aurantium var. daidai, used in Chinese medicine and Japanese New Year celebrations.

Production

Orange, raw, Florida Nutritional value per 100 g
Energy 50 kcal   190 kJ
Carbohydrates     11.54 g - Sugars  9.14 g - Dietary fiber  2.4 g   Fat 0.21 g Protein 0.70 g Thiamin (Vit. B1)  0.100 mg   8% Riboflavin (Vit. B2)  0.040 mg   3% Niacin (Vit. B3)  0.400 mg   3% Pantothenic acid (B5)  0.250 mg  5% Vitamin B6  0.051 mg 4% Folate (Vit. B9)  17 μg  4% Vitamin C  45 mg 75% Calcium  43 mg 4% Iron  0.09 mg 1% Magnesium  10 mg 3%  Phosphorus  12 mg 2% Potassium  169 mg   4% Zinc  0.08 mg 1%
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults. Source: USDA Nutrient database

According to FAOSTAT, the top producers of oranges (in tonnes) in 2005 were:

1.	Brazil	17,804,600
2.	USA	8,393,276
3.	Mexico	4,112,711
4.	India	3,100,000
5.	China	2,412,000
6.	Spain	2,294,600
7.	Italy	2,201,025
8.	Iran	1,900,000
9.	Egypt	1,789,000
10.	Pakistan	1,579,900

Juice and other products

Oranges and orange juice.

Oranges are widely grown in warm climates worldwide, and the flavours of oranges vary from sweet to sour. The fruit is commonly peeled and eaten fresh, or squeezed for its juice. It has a thick bitter rind that is usually discarded, but can be processed into animal feed by removing water, using pressure and heat. It is also used in certain recipes as flavouring or a garnish. The outer-most layer of the rind is grated or thinly veneered with a tool called a zester, to produce orange zest, popular in cooking because it has a flavour similar to the fleshy inner part of the orange. The white part of the rind, called the pericarp or albedo and including the pith, is a source of pectin and has nearly the same amount of vitamin C as the flesh.

Products made from oranges include:

• Orange juice, one of the commodities traded on the New York Board of Trade. Brazil is the largest producer of orange juice in the world, followed by the USA. It is made by squeezing the fruit on a special instrument called a "juicer" or a "squeezer". The juice is collected in a small tray underneath. This is mainly done in the home, and in industry will be done on a much larger scale
• Sweet orange oil, a by-product of the juice industry produced by pressing the peel. It is used as a flavouring of food and drink and for its fragrance in perfume and aromatherapy. Sweet orange oil consists of about 90% d-Limonene, a solvent used in various household chemicals, such as to condition wooden furniture, and along with other citrus oils in grease removal and as a hand-cleansing agent. It is an efficient cleaning agent which is environmentally friendly, and much less toxic than petroleum distillates. It also smells more pleasant than other cleaning agents.
• The orange blossom, which is the state flower of Florida, is traditionally associated with good fortune, and was popular in bridal bouquets and head wreaths for weddings for some time. The petals of orange blossom can also be made into a delicately citrus-scented version of rosewater. Orange blossom water is a common part of Middle Eastern cuisine. The orange blossom gives its touristic nickname to the Costa del Azahar ("Orange-blossom coast"), the Valencia seaboard.
• In Spain, fallen blossoms are dried and then used to make tea.
• Orange blossom honey, or actually citrus honey, is produced by putting beehives in the citrus groves during bloom, which also pollinates seeded citrus varieties. Orange blossom honey is highly prized, and tastes much like orange.
• Marmalade, a conserve usually made with Seville oranges. All parts of the orange are used to make marmalade: the pith and pips are separated, and typically placed in a muslin bag where they are boiled in the juice (and sliced peel) to extract their pectin, aiding the setting process.
• Orange peel is used by gardeners as a slug repellent.

Since oranges are susceptible to frost damage, growers commonly use sprinklers to coat them with ice when temperatures go below freezing. This practice protects the crops by regulating temperature.

Uses in Cooking

The unripe fruit called "narthangai" is commonly used in Southern Indian food, especially in Tamil cuisine. The unripe fruit is pickled by cutting it into spirals and stuffing it with salt. The pickle is usually consumed with thayir sadam. The fresh fruit is also used frequently in pachadis. The juice from the ripe fruit is also used as a marinade in meat in Cuban cooking. The peel can also become an ingredient in bitters

Many varieties of bitter oranges are used for their essential oil, which is used in perfume and as a flavoring. They are also used in herbal medicine.

Etymology

Orange derives from Sanskrit nāraṅgaḥ "orange tree", but another explanation tries to establish a link to a Dravidian root meaning "fragrant". Compare Tamil narandam [நரந்தம்] "bitter orange", nagarukam [நாகருகம்] "sweet orange" and nari [நாரி] "fragrance". The Sanskrit or Dravidian word was borrowed into European languages through Persian nārang, Armenian nārinj, Arabic nāranj, (Spanish naranja and Portuguese laranja), Late Latin arangia, Italian arancia or arancio, and Old French orenge, in chronological order. The first appearance in English dates from the 14th century. The forms starting with n- are older; this initial n- may have been mistaken as part of the indefinite article, in languages with articles ending with an -n sound (e.g., in French une norenge may have been taken as une orenge). The name of the colour is derived from the fruit, first appearing in this sense in 1542.

Some languages have different words for the bitter and the sweet orange, such as Modern Greek nerantzi and portokali ("Portuguese"), respectively. Or in Persian, the words are narang and porteghal (Portugal), in the same order. The reason is that the sweet orange was brought from China or India to Europe during the 15th century by the Portuguese. For the same reason, some languages refer to it as Applesin (or variants), which means "Apple from China", while the bitter orange was introduced through Persia.

Storage

Oranges should be stored in the warmest part of the refrigerator. They can normally be stored for about 2 weeks.

Gallery

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  Picture of a Cara Cara orange (left) with a pink grapefruit for comparison of size and colour.

• 

  While still maintaining an orange peel, the blood orange has streaks of red in the fruit and a dark burgundy pulp.

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  'Ambersweet' oranges

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  An orange grove.

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  Orange seeds

• Coldsunday.jpg

  Icy orange crop

Oranges in popular culture

File:Outspan Orange.jpg

Outspan´s motorized orange.

• Outspan, a branch of Fyffes, had three "motorized oranges" built in 1972, with bits from a mini, in order to promote their fruit.

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Bender, D. A., and A. E. Bender. 2005. A Dictionary of Food and Nutrition. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0198609612.

• Herbst, S. T. 2001. The New Food Lover's Companion: Comprehensive Definitions of Nearly 6,000 Food, Drink, and Culinary Terms. Barron's Cooking Guide. Hauppauge, NY: Barron's Educational Series. ISBN 0764112589.

• Katz, S. H., and W. W. Weaver. 2003. Encyclopedia of Food and Culture. New York: Schribner. ISBN 0684805685.
• McPhee, John. Oranges (1966) - focuses on Florida groves.
• Sackman, Douglas Cazaux. Orange Empire: California and the Fruits of Eden (2005) comprehensive, multidimensional history of citrus industry in California
• Train, John. Oranges (2006)

Footnotes

Credits

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