Oranges are a nutritious and pleasant fruit, but many people are unaware that there are hundreds of different varieties. They can’t be beaten as a quick, energy-filled snack because they’re packed with vitamin C and antioxidants. Many types are simple to peel and eat while on the go, and they also carry nicely. When juiced or sliced and put into a salad, they’re just as tasty.
How Many Different Kinds of Orange Are There?
In the wild, the sweet orange (Citrus aurantium var. Sinensis) is not found. It’s a hybrid, albeit the exact nature of the two varieties is unknown. Most authorities appear to agree that the pomelo (Citrus maxima) and the mandarin are a good match (Citrus reticulata).
The origins of cultivation are also unknown. However, it is thought to have originated in China, northern India, and possibly southeastern Asia. Around 1450, Italian traders brought the fruit to the Mediterranean, followed by Portuguese traders around 1500.
Oranges were mostly utilized for medicinal purposes before that time, but wealthy aristocracy quickly snatched the aromatic, luscious fruit for themselves.
Different Kinds of Oranges
Tangerine
Tangerines, which are smaller and sweeter than regular oranges, are also quite popular. They have softer, thinner skin than a conventional navel orange, making them easier to peel. They’re distinguished by their vivid orange skin and flesh, as well as their high vitamin C content.
Seville Oranges
Oranges from Seville are also known as sour oranges. They’re not commonly peeled to eat as a snack due to their extreme acidity, but they are utilized in cooking. Many people make marmalade, salad dressings, and sauces from sour oranges.
Navel Oranges
The most popular form of orange is this sweet, slightly bitter variety. A navel orange can be identified by its trademark mark on the bottom, which resembles a belly button. Navel oranges are an excellent choice for snacking or adding to salads because of their delicious flavor and lack of seeds. Because of their sweetness, they’re also perfect for juicing, as long as you’re going to drink it right away.
You may also use the zest in baking to brighten up the flavor of a dish, such as quick pieces of bread or muffins. Because navel oranges are in season from November to June, you may use them in any meal, from fruit salad to grilled fish, all year.
Cara Cara Oranges
This variety of navel oranges is particularly delicious. Cara Cara oranges are known for their pleasant sweetness and mild acidity, making them ideal for snacks, raw foods, and juice. (They also have a small number of seeds.)
The Cara Cara, sometimes known as red-fleshed navel oranges (owing to natural carotenoid colors in the flesh), is a hybrid between a blood orange and a navel orange, with a complexly sweet flavor with notes of berries and cherries. They originated in Venezuela, but they are now primarily farmed in California from December to April.
Clementines
Clementines are a cross between a sweet orange and a willow-leaf mandarin orange. The peel is a deep orange hue and has a smooth, glossy finish. They’re similar to tangerines in that they’re quick to peel and are popular with children because they’re cute and simple to eat. They’re usually juicy and sweet, with little acidity.
Blood Oranges
Blood oranges are a must-have for any winter cheese platter or holiday dessert presentation. The dark red color of its flesh, which is very juicy, tangy, and sweet, gives them their name. Their flavor is distinct, and it resembles a mix of plump, ripe raspberries and tangy oranges. Sanguinello, Moro, and Tarocco are the three main kinds, which range from sweet to sour.
Consequently, they are a brilliant complement to sauces or desserts, including a superb marmalade base. They can also be eaten raw or juiced. Blood oranges are most readily available from late fall through early winter (about November to March).
Seville Oranges
For a reason, these fruits are often known as sour oranges. Seville oranges have a lot of bitterness and acidity and a lot of sugar content. As a result, they are the best option for marmalade because they can pair well and complement the required measure of sugar. Oranges and their skins are also often used to season different marinades.
They’re not generally consumed raw because they’re so acidic. Use Seville oranges in fish or pork marinades, jellies, marmalades, sauces, salad dressings, or sweetened cocktails while they’re in season, from December to February.
Mandarin Oranges
The trouble is, even though it’s commonly referred to as a “mandarin orange,” mandarins aren’t oranges. Mandarin oranges are citrus fruit with loose peel, petite size, and a somewhat flattened look. Oranges are a cross between mandarins and pomelos (which are similar to grapefruit but less bitter).
Mandarins are also a popular snack and salad topping because they are delicious and tiny, with a skin that is easy to peel. They’re also a brilliant option for baking because they’re almost seedless. Mandarins are in season from January through May, but they’re also available canned and in syrup all year.
Tangelos
Now, pay attention to the following: If an orange is a cross between a mandarin and a pomelo, and a tangelo is a cross between a tangerine (a sort of mandarin) and a pomelo, then the tangelo is *basically* a really special orange…right? Tangelos are distinguished from other citrus fruits by a prominent nipple.
The meat inside is incredibly juicy, tangy, and delicious, despite the skin being tight and tough to peel. While Tangelos are difficult to consume fresh, they make a fantastic juice. They can also be used in place of sweet oranges and mandarin oranges. From December through March, keep an eye out for them.
Acid-less Orange
As the name says, acid-free oranges have a low acid content. They’re also known as “sweet” oranges, but they’re not particularly flavorful. They aren’t grown in huge amounts and are usually eaten rather than juiced because they have very little acid, keeping ordinary oranges from deteriorating.
Sanguigno
Oranges have an oval form, are colored, and have flesh ranging from yellow-orange to red. Their flesh is low in sugar and high in citric acid, with few seeds. This variety originates from Spain, and the fruits ripen in February but stay on the plants until late April.
Apart from the “Sanguinello Comune” orange variety, the “Sanguinello Moscato” orange variety has Sicilian origins. The fruits of this type are slightly larger and have a longer form than the first. The peel of the oranges from the sanguinello moscato variety is less red than that of the common type, but the key distinction is the aroma of the flesh, which is similar to that of the Moscato grape.
Moro
This orange cultivar is from Italy and is distinguished by its orange-intense red flesh due to its many colors (anthocyanins). The fruit is oval or circular, with a rounded base and a truncated apex. The skin is medium thick and fine-grained, orange with crimson undertones. The flesh is delicious, fine-grained, and seedless, with a high acidity level.
The oranges of the Moro variety are available on the market from the first decade of December to the end of February; they may be easily preserved (up to 30-50 days after harvesting) if kept at a temperature of 8 to 10 °C with sufficient humidity levels to avoid dehydration.
Washington Navel
It’s a type of orange known as “Brazilian” because it’s primarily grown in Bahia, Brazil. These oranges are the second most widely cultivated oranges in the world, behind the Valencia type. Washington Navel oranges are large, spherical, and slightly elongated, and they ripen from December to May. The existence of a navel of various sizes, which can also be closed, is a distinguishing feature of the Washington Navel variety, as it is of other Navel variations.
Washington Navel oranges are larger than Navelina oranges and have a medium-thick, bright orange skin with a medium-fine grained texture. There is a lot of juice in this. The flesh is crisp and flavorful, with moderate acidity. The color of the flesh varies depending on the degree of ripeness, although it is normally a bright orange.
Belladonna
This fruit is medium in size (160-200 grams), oval, and has a thick, fine-grained peel that adheres to the flesh. The flesh is orange in color, soft, juicy, and flavorful, with few seeds. These oranges are used to make orange juice as well as for consumption.
From mid-December through February-March, the fruits ripen. When on the plant, the fruit is quite hardy. From the second decade of December to April, the fruits are traded. Harvesting is carried out by hand.
Conclusion
Wow! As you can see, there are a plethora of oranges available. There has to be an orange variety specifically for you and your morning orange juice addiction! Not only are these different kinds of oranges delicious, but they’re also a great source of vitamin C. So consume them while you’re on the go for a quick dose of energy!
Try a new orange variety the next time you go shopping for oranges, or try a new marmalade recipe. It’ll undoubtedly be delicious.