Juicy Goodness of Orange

Historians have not been able to agree on any single location as the birthplace of the orange fruit, but by and large everyone agrees it originated from Eastern Asia, largely China, Burma and India. The original citrus has become so far removed from the present day orange that it is almost impossible to talk of them in the same breath. This lack of continuity in its development, sporadic relocation and of course, absence of documentation has lead to a number of theories about its origins.

But by default, most historians and botanists agree that it must have originated somewhere in the vicinity of what is now the Malay Archipelago, over twenty million years ago, in all probabilities as a bitter fruit plant, not as sweet as we have it today. The orange evolved from this plant much later, and most probably in China, which, till today, boasts of more varieties of the orange than any other region of the world. However the sweet avatar of the original bitter citrus could have originated anywhere else, and most agree it was in India, Bhutan or Myanmar. The first ancient civilization where domestication and controlled cultivation of the lime, lemon, orange or their cultures find mention is in the Indus valley civilization in the Indus river region, an area now shared by India and present Pakistan, around 4000 BC (almost 6000 years ago).

Dispersion of the seed could have been by varied and some very interesting means, including planting by humans, and translocation through streams, but the rough path took the orange from Yunnan (in China) to Myanmar, and then Assam (extreme North Eastern India). This is cited as the reason why the origins of the word `Orange’ lies in ancient Sanskrit – Narangi (meaning the color orange). It presumable traveled to Persia with the ever present Middle Eastern traders in the Indian peninsula, and they also took it to Eastern Europe, as the exotic, juice pot from the Far East. In fact, the traders’ routes were planted with orange trees to ensure against malnutrition while on the move, so they must have had in-depth knowledge of the goodness of the fruit.

By the time the Roman Empire fell, oranges from India had arrived in the region, and were thriving in the Italian peninsula. In fact a Mausoleum erected by Constantine (274-337 CE) depicts sweet oranges, so we know the pre- Christian Era in Europe had already seen oranges. Persians loved in and in course of centuries, Spain (where it is called naranja- close to the Indian narangi), and then Portugal embraced the fruit. Italians followed suit, adopting it to fit their fiery tastes and France appreciated its juice sweetness, indeed by the fourteenth century, almost the entire Europe had tasted this fruit of the East. However, formally written records of cultivation and usage of the fruit appear in Europe only after the fifteenth century. But Northern, colder parts of Europe grew acquainted with them only due to the Crusades.

The Chinese orange (Mandarin in its first form) landed in Lisbon in 1635 and Europe fell in love with it. This was a better flavored fruit and very soon, its cultivation spread.

Local difficulties were overcome by scientific innovations and it was to prevent the precious orange seedlings from frost injury that the ancestors of our greenhouses were first erected in Northern Europe in the fourteenth century.

Very soon the seafaring European countries also discovered their health benefits, when they seem to prevent diseases like scurvy often faced by undernourished sailors. They discovered the goodness of vitamin C and the iron absorption properties, they stared carrying it on their voyages, and the East had conquered the western taste buds. In fact Christopher Columbus, on his second voyage to the Pacific Islands, brought with him the seeds of the oranges he so prized and made sure they were planted in Haiti and the Caribbean. In fact it was made a law for every sailor to carry at least a hundred seeds of orange with him on every trip to the Americas. This was later replaced by seedlings but the seed, literally, had been sown. In 1513 Ponce De Leon took the orange seeds to Florida, which became the ancestors of one of the world’s most thriving orange county.

Over the next decade or so, Brazil had received its share, and the plants did very well in South America because of the tropical climate and similar soil.

Though our ancestors did value the orange for its taste, and nutritional assets, we are in a better position to understand its goodness for our health. It is, today, common knowledge that oranges are rich in Vitamin C and help cleanse our system of toxins. Do we also know that vitamin C is useful not only in itself as an immunity enhancing nutrient but also as a catalyst for iron absorption in our bodies? Ascorbic acid contained in Vitamin C assists in production of collagen, a structural element present in blood vessels and gums etc. hence it is very important for body building or rebuilding, particularly for the convalescing. In layman terms, vitamin C works against hypertension and thus regulates blood pressure, fights against common infections like cold and cough and helps relax blood vessels by regulating levels of nitric oxide in the human body.

Packed with the goodness of these acids, one medium orange is capable of giving 64 calories, almost no fat, 16 grams of carbohydrates, and about 3.4 grams of dietary fiber, in addition to almost 80 mg of vitamin C and 47 mcg of folate (which is why it is invaluable for expectant mothers). Few other foods could surpass this combination.

A cup of orange juice, like wise provides 110 calories, almost 82 mg of Vitamin C and a priceless 473 mgs of potassium. Truly, very few fruits can surpass this goodness packed into a small orange ball, reminiscent of the great sun on our palms…well it is almost as potent at least!!!!!