Oranges: Have a Little Sunshine
/It’s 62 calories of Vitamin C and fiber, and this time of year that’s important. Winter is cold and flu season, and we like to hibernate from the cold after the holiday season full of goodies. So oranges are a no-fat, medicinal sugar fix. Here are some other sweet facts about this popular fruit:
There are sweet oranges, which we eat and drink, and bitter oranges, used mainly for perfumes, solvents, and essential oils.
Native to Asia, the sweet orange was cultivated in China at least 4,500 years ago. It finally made its way over to Europe and the Middle East by the 1400s via trade routes. By the end of the 1700s, oranges had been planted in what is now Florida, Louisiana, Arizona, California and Hawaii. Today it’s the most cultivated tree in the world with Brazil as the largest producer.
Technically, it's a berry.
The word “orange” comes from the Sanskrit “naranga,” meaning “orange tree.” The word was also used to describe the color by the 16th century. There are no actual English words that rhyme with “orange.”
Orangina, a bottled natural drink made with essential oils and orange pulp, was introduced at the Marseille Trade Show in 1936.
Blood oranges have more health benefits than other types of oranges, specifically more flavanoids, less acid and up to 40 percent more Vitamin C.
The orange cognac liqueur, Grand Marnier, was created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It was named by Cesar Ritz after Marnier-Lapostolle helped Ritz buy and establish the Hotel Ritz in Paris.
