Half-blood Queen

Snapshots from my childhood in the early fifties: castor oil, ultraviolent lamps and… oranges. I cannot remember a skiing tour without an orange, stuffed with a lump of sugar. Blood oranges arrived in time for Christmas and provided the compulsory Christmas dessert.

Holding an orange awakens dreams. They came wrapped in brightly coloured tissue paper. And they still do. “Zetaregina”, “La Principessa”, “Tre Moretti”…

Later tangerines and clementines became more trendy vitamin injections and the ready-made juice, of course. I was never really tempted by the watery taste …

Until...

I met the “half-blood Queen”, the Tarocco. Sweet and juicy with a thin orange skin, so easy to peel. The flesh... slightly blushed in red tones and... seedless.

Reverence

Peeling an orange is an artistic ceremony. Carefully cut a circle of rind off the top and bottom, using a sharp knife. Cut the rind in a spiral. Be careful not to cut into the flesh.

"Preserved sun"

Eating the Tarocco is a particularly sensual. When sectioning the arancia, remove all the membrane to expose the flesh, and arrange the segments on a white plate in the form of a fan. Squeeze the remaining juice out of the orange skeleton. Pick up the segments, one by one, with your fork. Close your eyes and crush the slices slowly against your palate. It is like sipping the sun!

The Sicilian sun has lavishly left the Tarocco to ripen. It has the highest Vitamin C content of any orange variety grown in the world. The fruit's red pigment is an antioxidant, known to reduce the risks associated with many ailments, including age-related illness. How about that? Salute!

Enjoy your weekend! Tante belle cose! Ingrid