Food: Oranges

Baskets of oranges in the market. 

As the rainy season comes to an end, many fruits and vegetables are available in great quantities and oranges have got to be my current favorite. Oranges are best grown in places with a moderate climate (20-28C/68-80F) with plenty of sun and low rainfall, though as they reach the late stages of maturity they need increased water. At the end of the rains they're full of juice and abundant in the markets and among hawkers in the street. I prefer to buy my oranges in the market from a seller that specializes in oranges, most commonly having a push cart or a gigantic sack full of oranges.

Three unpeeled oranges and one ready for consumption. 

Much like bananas, oranges here in Tanzania are a different variety than what you may be accustomed to at home. While researching the type of orange here I found a website with a wealth information on different varieties. I'm not sure which variety (I think African Sour Orange) are most common here but I've eaten a similar variety of oranges in Jamaica and West Africa. They actually have more of a yellow appearance (both inside and outside) than the traditional orange. The rind is very thick and best cut with a knife as opposed to peeling by hand. This is because the rind gives off a cloud of citrus juice when peeled which can cause irritation for both the skin and eyes. There are many ways to peel an orange from the corkscrew method (see above), vertical method (see below) and any other way you can think of while using a knife.

Orange peeled vertically with the very top cut off for the juice-box effect. 

Even after peeling, there are a lot of different ways consume the orange. You can cut off the very top and squeeze the oranges like a juice-box (see above). This method provides more juice and less flesh and also helps to filter out the numerous seeds found in the variety. Alternatively you can cut directly in the middle and scrape out the orange using your front teeth to scoop the flesh out. Often times people will cut at about the 60% line to avoid running the knife through the seeds and thus spilling some of the bitter taste held within the seeds.

Despite the name, I wouldn't describe the oranges as sour though they aren't as sweet as types most commonly available in Europe and America. Right now they are extremely cheap; you can get about 20 for $1.00. As you can imagine, I have been eating as many oranges as possible during the good times!