This article is about a hybrid citrus fruit. For the film, seeThe Bitter Orange. For the Chinese bitter orange, seetrifoliate orange. For the Asian bitter orange, seedaidai.
Thebitter orange,sour orange,Seville orange,bigarade orange, ormarmalade orange is the hybridcitrus tree speciesCitrus ×aurantium, and its fruit. It is native toSoutheast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of the world. It is a cross between the pomelo,Citrus maxima, and the wild type mandarin orange,Citrus reticulata. The bitter orange is used to makeessential oil, used in foods, drinks, and pharmaceuticals. The Seville orange is prized for making British orangemarmalade.
In some proposed systems, the speciesCitrus ×aurantium includes not only the bitter orange proper, but all otherhybrids between thepomelo and the wild typemandarin, namely thesweet orange, thegrapefruit, and all cultivatedmandarins.[3][4][5] This article only deals with the bitter orange proper.
Foliage, blossoms and fruit.Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen, 1897
The bitter orange has orange fruit with a distinctly bitter or sour taste. The tree has alternate simple leaves on longpetioles; there are long thorns on the petiole. The trees require little care and may live for as long as 600 years. It grows in subtropical regions but can tolerate a brief frost.[10]
Among the many related species isCitrus bergamia, thebergamot orange. This is probably a bitter orange andlimetta hybrid; it is cultivated in Italy for the production of bergamot oil, a component of many brands ofperfume and tea, especiallyEarl Grey tea.[13] It is a less hardy plant than other bitter orange varieties.[10]
While the raw pulp is not edible,[14] bitter orange is widely used in cooking. The Seville orange (the usual name in this context) is prized for making British orangemarmalade, being higher inpectin than thesweet orange, and therefore giving a better set and a higher yield. Once a year, oranges of this variety are collected from trees inSeville and shipped toBritain to be used in marmalade. However, the fruit is rarely consumed locally inAndalusia.[15] This reflects Britain, Portugal and Spain's historicAtlantic trading relationship; an early recipe for 'marmelet of oranges' was recorded by Eliza Cholmondeley in 1677.[16] Bitter orange—bigarade—was used in all early recipes forduck à l'orange, originally calledcanard à la bigarade.[17]Malta too has a tradition of making bitter oranges into marmalade.[18][19]
In Finland,mämmi is a fermented malted rye dough flavoured with ground Seville orange zest.[20]Across Scandinavia, bitter orange peel is used in dried, ground form in baked goods such as Christmas bread[21] and gingerbread.[22] InGreece, thenerántzi is one of the most prized fruits used forspoon sweets.[23] In Adana province,Turkey, bitter orange jam is a principal dessert.[24] Bitter oranges are made intochutneys in India, either in the style of araita with curds, or roasted, spiced, and sweetened to form a condiment that can be preserved in jars.[25] In Yucatán (Mexico), it is a main ingredient of thecochinita pibil.[26] InSuriname, its juice is used in the well-known dishpom.[27]
Anessential oil is extracted from the peel of dried, unripe bitter oranges;C. aurantium var.curassaviensis in particular is used inCuraçao liqueur.[10] An oil is pressed from the fresh peel of ripe fruit in many countries and used in ice creams, puddings, sweets, soft and alcoholic drinks, and pharmaceuticals.[10] The flowers are distilled to yieldNeroli oil[10] andorange flower water,[28] with similar uses.[10] Neroli oil is also employed inperfumes.[29] The peel of bitter oranges is used as a spice in BelgianWitbier (whitebeer), for orange-flavored liqueurs such asCointreau, and to producebitters such asOranjebitter.[30] It is a component of Nordic hot spiced wine,glögg.[31]
English marmalade is traditionally homemade in the winter
^Klein, Joshua D. (2014). "Citron Cultivation, Production and Uses in the Mediterranean Region".Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the Middle-East. Medicinal and Aromatic Plants of the World. Vol. 2. pp. 199–214.doi:10.1007/978-94-017-9276-9_10.ISBN978-94-017-9275-2.
^Watson, Andrew (2008) [1983].Agricultural innovation in the early Islamic world: the diffusion of crops and farming techniques 700-1100. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 81.ISBN978-0-521-06883-3.
^Little, Elbert L. (1994) [1980].The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees: Western Region (Chanticleer Press ed.). Knopf. p. 510.ISBN0394507614.
^Arctander, Steffen (1960).Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin. Orchard Innovations. p. 436.ISBN195168205X.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
^Sharpe, Patricia A.; Granner, Michelle L.; Conway, Joan M.; Ainsworth, Barbara E.; Dobre, Mirela (December 2006). "Availability of weight-loss supplements: Results of an audit of retail outlets in a southeastern city".Journal of the American Dietetic Association.106 (12):2045–51.doi:10.1016/j.jada.2006.09.014.PMID17126636.
^Hess, A.M.; Sullivan, D.L. (March 2005). "Potential for toxicity with use of bitter orange extract and guarana for weight loss".The Annals of Pharmacotherapy.39 (3):574–5.doi:10.1345/aph.1E249.PMID15657116.S2CID28294405.
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