What Is a Blood Orange?
A blood orange is a darker orange- to red-fleshed orange that has been popular for many years in Europe and has gained in popularity elsewhere. The exterior of a blood orange is a rose-tinted orange color. Depending on the variety, the skin color might be lighter or darker. The surprise comes when one cuts open the orange to reveal its pink to dark crimson flesh.
Three Varieties
There are several varieties of blood oranges. These are the Tarocco, the Sanguinello and the Moro. Of these, the Tarocco has the greatest popularity in Europe and is grown primarily in Italy. It might not always have the darkest red coloring, however, and some Tarocco blood oranges resemble more traditional oranges. In taste, however, the Tarocco is often considered superior to other varieties.
The Sanguinello is grown in Spain, and is an almost seedless variety. It tends to have a deeper red color. The Moro is most commonly grown in the United States and tends to have the darkest flesh. If one is really going for that deep crimson in juices or dishes prepared with a blood orange, the Moro might be the best choice.
Pigment Provides Darker Color
The coloring of a blood orange differs from a typical orange because it has an additional pigment called anthocyanin. This pigment can be found in purple and red flowers and other fruits. For example, the Fuji apple and red delicious apple owe their deep red exterior to the presence of anthocyanin.
Taste and Uses
Blood oranges also are celebrated for their taste. A ripe blood orange is very sweet and mellow. Some people ascribe subtle flavoring hints of raspberry and strawberry to this type of orange. Other people, however, simply describe blood oranges as identical in taste to sweet regular oranges.
These oranges are considered exceptional in presentation for a variety of dishes. An orange salad made with blood oranges and regular oranges can be a beautiful dish. Orange juice made with blood oranges is a lovely color and can be used to heighten the drama of a smoothie or a mimosa.
Slices of blood oranges can garnish vanilla ice cream or provide an essential ingredient to a fruit salsa. Blood oranges used in tarts are also beautiful. Most recipes for these oranges are usually sweet in nature, such as desserts or drinks, but blood oranges also can make excellent garnishes for savory dishes.
Written by Tricia Ellis-Christensen
