Where do blood oranges come from?
The blood orange originated in Sicily and Spain and varieties include Tarocco, Moro (or Morro), and Sanguinello (or Sanguigno). In fact you may hear the term “Sicilian Blood Oranges” even though they are grown in other parts of the world–including right here in Calabria. We get ours from one of P’s friends and as you can see from the above photo, these aren’t as bloody as some. And so through the magic of shipping and distribution of seeds, you can also now find blood oranges that are grown in the United States (Texas and California), and probably anywhere else that has an appropriate climate–read: something like southern Italy. As with many citrus fruits, these special oranges are in season right now in the northern hemisphere up until May in some parts. Stores may carry the oranges as well as already-squeezed juice, but there’s nothing like fresh-squeezed so if you can find the oranges themselves, give them a try. You can read more about the history of the blood orange on this O’Biol
