Food glossary

Orange

Orange

Introduced into Europe from China, and now cultivated in many parts of the world, they are named after the French town of Orange, which was an important orange-growing region in the Middle Ages. They can be used in a variety of ways, in a range of sweet and savoury dishes.

To store: Keep at room temperature for 2-3 days.

To prepare: To obtain the maximum amount of juice from oranges, pour boiling water over and leave for 5 minutes before juicing. To cut an orange into segments, place it in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm the flesh, peel it, remove the pith and peel the segments between the membrane.

Blood oranges

These exotic-looking oranges have a distinctive red-coloured flesh and a sweet, juicy flavour. They are especially popular in Italy, but are grown all over the Mediterranean.

Uses: Best eaten peeled and segmented, to appreciate their delicious flavour.

Delta oranges

These have a thin peelable skin with a sweet and juicy flesh and are virtually seedless.

Uses: Best eaten peeled and segmented or added raw to salads or puddings.

Navel oranges

Sweet, juicy and seedless, these oranges take their name from their structure. When halved lengthwise, a tiny orange appears to be growing in the flesh at one end. Its tip, visible on the skin at that end, looks rather like a navel!

Uses: Best eaten peeled and segmented or incorporated in sauces, salads and desserts.

Navelina oranges

Grown in the Valencia region of Spain, Navelina oranges have a wonderfully sweet flavour. The large fruits have an attractive deep red-orange skin which is easy to peel.

Uses: Best peeled, segmented and eaten raw to appreciate their sweet delicious flavour.

Ortaniques

A really juicy variety with a refreshing tangy flavour.

Uses: Best eaten raw to appreciate the delicious juicy flesh, cut into sections to retain the juice and tang.

Seville oranges

These oranges were introduced into Europe from India. They have a bitter, aromatic, knobbly rind, juicy acid flesh and pips.

Uses: They are used to make the traditional tangy marmalade and can also be used for making Sauce Bigarade (its name taken from the variety, Citrus Bigaradia) and to make the classic orange salad served with wild duck and other rich dark meats. Seville oranges are too bitter to eat raw.

Salustiana oranges

With its sweet and juicy flesh this is one of the best oranges for juicing.

Uses: To prepare freshly-squeezed orange juice either for drinking or to include in a recipe Salustiana are the best variety to choose.