Orange Trees in Seville

Everywhere you go on the streets of Sevilla you will find orange trees.  The uniquely bitter Seville oranges that literally perfume the whole area.  Unlike the oranges you and I might find in our local supermarket, an orange from Seville is a Bitter Orange, which comes from the Citrus Aurantium tree. The tree is originally a native of SE Asia, but which has now spread its seed throughout many other warm and sometimes wet climates. Also known as the Bigarade, the Seville Orange has skin almost like a rhino. It’s thick and it’s got pimples and because of the much higher level of pectin, which is the cell-wall, it is perfect for use in preserve-making such as jams and marmalades. The strengths of the peel make the preserve set much better and, because of the highly concentrated sharp taste, a Seville orange is also great when making flavored alcoholic liqueurs.
The flowers of the plant also have a great use and made into orange flower water and the oils too are compressed into neroli oil, which is a great tool for aromatherapy and massage. Another rather strange use for the plant is in the world of weight-loss medicine. An extract of the peel is great for suppressing hunger and for many years, especially in Asia, it has acted in this medical way (I did not try this out on my trip, but after a couple of weeks of tapas, I should have taken some home with me).

One of the even more interesting uses for the orange ties in very nicely with the Andalucian's love of seafood.  Ceviche is a citrus-marinated seafood sauce made from the citric acid juice of the orange (although it is more often made using lemons and limes). Popular in Latin America, especially in Mexico and Peru. it has become one of the signature dishes in the former Spanish colonies. It remarkably manages to denature the proteins in the seafood and, after about three or four hours, actually cooks the food without a single flame being lit. Not too far away from pickling or other types of preserving, it’s another example of just how flexible and useful every single part of this orange is.