Veggie & Fruit Guide
Veggie & Fruit- Please select from abc list
Oranges
The orange is one of the most widely favoured
fruits in the world. With glossy evergreen foliage, highly fragrant
blossoms, and ornamental as well as edible fruits, the orange tree has long
been prized for its beauty.
The scientific name of the orange tree is citrus
sinensis and the fruit is technically a hesperidium, which is a type of
berry. It consists of several easily separated carpels, or sections, each
containing several seeds and many juice cells, covered by a leathery skin,
containing numerous oil glands.
Oranges are one of the most sought after fruits, not only for its
taste and appearance, but also for its nutritional value. Besides it vitamin
content, oranges also contain phytochemicals (e.g. hesperitin and beta-sitosterol)
and pigments (e.g. lutein and zeaxanthin), which are currently being
researched for their potential health benefits. The vitamin C in oranges not
only protects from diseases like scurvy, but it also helps the body absorb
iron from foods that are eaten at the same time, for example orange segments
in a spinach salad.
Seasonal Availability
Different varieties of oranges are available at
different times of the year (see the chart below), but
considering all varieties, oranges are available from May to
November.
Serving Size
One medium-sized orange (180g)
provides 1 serving of fruit.
Description by variety
Navel
This variety has the distinctive feature of having a small secondary fruit embedded in the primary fruit. It is a large, seedless, sweet and juicy orange with a peel that is deep orange and fairly thick. The segments are easily parted, the flesh is firm, moderately juicy and of a fine, rich, sweet flavour but with adequate acidity.
Cara Cara
This is a red-fleshed navel variety with flesh similar to Star Ruby Grapefruit. Cara means ‘beloved’ or ‘dear one’ in Italian. The pulp is tender and the flavour rich. Cara Cara oranges have a sweet and juicy taste with low acidity.
Navelate
The fruit is medium to large in size; the peel is
thinner and more leathery than other navel oranges and is peeled
less easily. The external colour of these oranges develops later
than other varieties and the internal quality of the fruit is
superior due to its fine and juicy flesh and rich flavour.
Delta
Delta oranges originated in South Africa and are a selection of Valencia oranges that matures earlier. The fruit is larger in size and has a lower sugar content and acidity than Valencias. The fruit is virtually seedless and the internal quality of a very high Standard.
Midknight
A Valencia type orange that is famous for its high juice content, excellent flavour, absence of seeds and large fruit size. The peel is thinner and the fruit is more difficult to peel.
Shamouti
The fruit is oval shaped, medium to large in size, easy to peel due to a thick peel and virtually seedless. The flavour is exceptionally fragrant, rich and sweet.
Valencia
Valencia oranges are known for its high juice content and sweet flavour. The fruit is well coloured, the peel is thin and leathery and the flesh is bright orange and juicy.
Each fruit generally contains 2-4 seeds.
