Zoom on a food: orange

2023 Author: Anita Thornton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 11:16

They are beautiful, they are colorful and bursting with sunshine: that is to say that oranges do us a world of good to combat the gray weather and the cold weather to come.

Did you know: the orange tree is the most cultivated fruit tree in the world! Originally from Southeast Asia, the orange tree and its fruit are already known in China more than 2,200 years before our era. The orange then follows the Silk Road, thus migrating to Europe while crossing the Middle East and the Near East. It was of course at the time of the Conquest that the orange tree finally crossed the Atlantic, and it was then planted in the West Indies, South America, Mexico and Florida.

The term “orange” first appeared in the 13th century, derived from the Arabic “narandj” and the Sanskrit “nagaranga”, meaning “fruit loved by elephants”.

Did you know?

The orange is a fruit very prized by insects: to offer consumers a flawless product, citrus growers have to resort to an impressive number of chemical products. Fortunately, we are increasingly aware of the repercussions of such farming practices. For several years, Morocco, which produces 50% to 60% of the fruit intended forexport, is experimenting with a technique called “integrated pest management”: this consists of releasing beneficial insects, whose role is to attack insect pests. Good news: the results are conclusive, and only after three or four years, we notice a clear decline in the populations of insect pests.

Types of oranges

In the past, sweet oranges were only grown in winter, and this rare, precious fruit was a gift that, on its own, made children happy. Nowadays, however, we are lucky enough to eat oranges all year round, as the different varieties are harvested.

Navel: This sweet orange is the most consumed type, and it owes its name to the bulge at its base which resembles a small navel (navel, in English).

Valence: This is the orange we use to make juice. It is also very sweet and juicy.

Navel Cara Cara: The latter shares the same characteristics as the classic Navel, but its flesh is a beautiful deep pink color.

Pineapple: This orange is quite rare. It contains a lot of seeds, and its flesh gives off a sweet scent of pineapple, hence its name.

Hamlin: Here is an orange that is more acidic than its compatriots, but also very aromatic. Its flesh is pale and the Hamlin orange is small in size.

Blood Orange: There are two types of blood oranges. Pure sanguine, on which you can see large “blood stains” on the barkand whose flesh is red. The bark of the half-blood, for its part, is dotted with red spots.

The benefits of orange

Reputed to be a good source of vitamin C, oranges also contain antioxidants. Several studies have shown that the regular consumption of citrus fruits can prevent certain cancers, in particular that of the esophagus, mouth and pharynx.

The vitamin C found in oranges has also been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Of course, given its high vitamin C content, we all have the habit of consuming orange juice and oranges when we have a cold. But can orange really prevent or reduce cold symptoms? The researchers conducted several studies to find out for themselves, and they finally came to the conclusion that vitamin C unfortunately would not reduce the incidence of colds. On the other hand, it is believed that it could reduce the duration as well as the intensity of the symptoms.

Several studies have shown that regular consumption of orange juice or grapefruit juice has many he alth benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and blood cholesterol.

How to prepare orange for…

While more than 40% of the world's orange production ends up in juice, which testifies to the popularity of the product, it is most of the time best to eat the fruit whole and fresh. In doing so, we also absorbfibres. Here are more ideas to reinvent your oranges.

Baby

Some babies love the taste of citrus fruits, others have a harder time. So prepare an apple and citrus compote for your little loves: sweeter, less acidic, this one will be all the rage!

Ingredients

1 grapefruit
1 orange
6 apples

Preparation

We rinse the fruits first, before peeling and deseeding them. For citrus fruits, it is important to remove all the white parts, which would tend to make the compote very acidic. Steam the fruit (about ten minutes or until the apples are tender). We put everything in a food processor to have a uniform texture.

Children

Cupcakes or orange muffins are always popular with children. This granola bar recipe, in addition to being full of fiber and not too sweet, will also please them.

Ingredients

2 cups quick cooking oatmeal
½ cup almonds
6 dates, coarsely chopped
3 c. chia seeds
¼ cup almond butter
1/3 cup honey
2 c. orange juice
2 c. orange zest
1/8 c. cinnamon

Preparation

In a large bowl, combine the oats, dates, chia seeds, almond butter and almonds.

In a saucepan over medium heat,warm the honey with the orange juice, zest and cinnamon for one to two minutes. When the honey is hot and liquid, add the mixture to the dry ingredients and mix everything together.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper before pouring the mixture on it. Flatten the whole thing with your hands, so as to form a rectangle about ¼ inch thick.

Bake 20-22 minutes at 375°F, or until granola is golden brown. Leave to cool before cutting to form bars.

The Whole Family

Because we don't feel like embarking on major culinary projects every day, here is a very simple recipe for an orange dip, to serve with fruit. A real delight!