200804 13 - Tarocco Blood oranges from Sicilia

Tarocco Blood Oranges

I enjoyed the Blood oranges from Silicia. I used to buy the juices from supermarket like COOP when the real fruits are not in season. Today, I was glad to pick up a bag of 8 oranges from NTUC for $4.85 but no complaints because it is hard to find and great chance to taste it again.

Blood oranges get their color from something called Anthocyanin, a pigment that's usually found in flowers and other fruits and vegetables. It's what gives petals that deep red, blue or purple color, and for some reason Mother Nature decided to include it in this citrus variety.

More information on Blood oranges.

Citrus fruits have been cultivated in Italy since ancient times. In Sicily, the "blood" orange gained its nickname because of its ruby flesh that contains the red pigment, anthocyanin a strong antioxidant. Today, blood oranges are considered the hallmark of Sicilian fruit.

Three blood orange varieties, Tarocco, Moro and Sanguinello, can be traced to the hilly areas and plains surrounding the Mt. Etna volcano in Sicily. Temperatures in this region range from intense daylight to frigid temperatures at night. It also has other variables, including modest rainfall and rich soil. The combination of these factors results in a Sicilian Red orange that has incomparable sweetness and distinguishable color. Sicily combines the juciness of the Florida oranges with the appearance of the California counterpart which contains 20 percent. The fruit is easy to peel, and most varieties are seedless.

The Sicilian Red orange is clearly connected to its natural Mediterranean environment, resulting in fruit with superb flavor that cannot be replicated. These factors position Sicily as the largest producer in the world. It is also why the European Union recognizes the Eastern Sicily area as a Protected Geographical indication, Arancia Rossa di Sicilia, for cultivating Tarocco, Moro and Sanguinello varieties.

Tarocco: The most popular table orange in Italy, the Tarocco, is thought to have derived from a mutation of the "Sanguinello". It is referred to as "half-blood" because the flesh is not accentuated in red pigmentation as much as Moro and Sanguinello varieties. It has thin orange skin, slightly blushed in red tones. The Tarocco is one of the world's most popular oranges because of its sweetness (brix to acid ratio is generally above 12.0) and juciness. It has the highest Vitamin C content of any orange variety grown in the world, due primarily to the fertile soil surrounding Mount Etna, and it is easy to peel. The Tarocco orange is seedless, and it contains antocyanins, as do other blood oranges. The name, "Tarocco" is thought to have derived from an exclamation of wonder expressed by the farmer who was shown this fruit by its discoverer.

History & background
Citrus fruits have been cultivated in Sicily since ancient times, and cultivation is documented since the time of Moorish rule. While Arabs are creditied with originally lanting lemons and bitter oranges in Sicily, the Genovese and Portuguese crusaders introduced the sweet variety, Portogallo, in the 15th century. By the 18th century, the Normans had long expelled the Arabic invaders. As the fruit's health-benefiting properties became known, Sicily began shipping oranges around the world. Today, Sicilian citrus is found in virtually every country that permits imports, including in the United States.