A Conversation for Blood Oranges
Scarcity of blood oranges
BigAl Patron Saint of Left Handers Keeper of the Glowing Pickle and Monobrows Started conversation Apr 16, 2006
A recent correspondent to 'Answers to Correspondents' (Daily Mail, UK) asked why shops don't seem to stock them any more. A respondent answered that the B.O. season is January-March; and the reason they may not've been spotted is that they've been 'victims of the PC brigade, and rebranded as Ruby Red Oranges'.
In his reply he also said that the B.O. (Citrus sinensis) was discovered only in the 1920s, near Lentini in Sicily; and is thought to be the product of a spontaneous mutation.
Experts believe that its creation was triggered by a combination of terrain and climatic conditions unique to the area. This type of orange is called Taroco.
Its main commercial rivals are the Sanguinello (Spain) and the Moro (San Diego, California)
Sicily still produces about 70% of the total world crop. B.O's howe their distinctive colour to the pigment, anthocyanin - not typically found in citrus fruits, but common in other red fruits and flowers.
Key: Complain about this post
Scarcity of blood oranges
More Conversations for Blood Oranges
Write an Entry
"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."