Orange Fruit and Its Origins

By Francis Murphy

Whether sweet or sour, oranges score a favorite with many. It belongs to the citrus family and is the major fruit, besides others such as tangerines, mandarins, clementines and satsumas. The fruit is soft and fleshy, with or without seeds. The fruit is also formed from a single ovary. Due to these reasons, they are considered berries. Orange fruits provide multiple health benefits. They are rich in vitamin C and functions to reduce the risk of heart disease. The history of orange fruit can be traced back to thousands of years ago, at a time when the functions and properties of orange were not widely known.

Orange cultivation began about 7000 years back and was believed to have originated from Southeast Asia, India and China. It was brought to Italy, Spain and Portugal in the fifteenth century. In Europe, the Romans were the first to taste this fruit. As a luxury purchase, oranges were popular among the nobility and military classes. Prior to that, bitter oranges were cultivated for medicinal purposes. Oranges were also used in dishes back then. The introduction of sweet oranges in Europe has since encouraged worldwide commercial production and this was a turning point in the history of orange fruit. Orange was also introduced to America by Spanish explorers. The arrival of Spanish explorers in South America in the 15th century probably initiated orange cultivation in Brazil. Today, Brazil is the leading producer of oranges and accounts for almost half of the world's total production of oranges.

The most commonly and widely cultivated variations are the navel oranges, Valencia oranges and blood oranges. It is believed that the word "orange" was derived from a Sanskrit word. Orange is the second most sought after fruit after apples. International trade of oranges is very common today, and orange is cultivated in countries with warm climate. The changes in the history of orange fruit can be attributed various factors, including the role of traders in bringing the fruit across continents and to different countries.

Oranges are now commonly enjoyed by many and used for other purposes besides general consumption. It can be made into juice or incorporated into food products. It is a fruit with significant history, and oranges will remain a popular choice among consumers as a source of vitamin and to aid in well being maintenance.

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