It’s common knowledge that oranges are full of vitamin C, making them a healthy and nutritious choice for a snack. However, there are many orange facts that some people may not be aware of. Whether you consume oranges as a fruit or in juice form, there’s no denying they are an amazing fruit. Keep reading to learn more interesting facts about oranges!
5 Orange Facts:
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- Brazil is the leading orange producer in the world. (source) In 2021-2022, Brazil produced 16.9 million metric tons of oranges. That’s more than the next two areas (China and the European Union) combined!
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- Oranges are not naturally occurring fruits. (source). Oranges are thought to be a hybrid of pomelos and mandarins. They originated in the area around China, Myanmar, and India.
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- The word “orange” as a fruit came before the word as a color. (source) The Sanskrit word “nāranga” was originally used to describe the tree that oranges grew on. It eventually evolved to mean the fruit of the tree as well, and was translated to “pume orange” in Middle English. Orange was first used as a color descriptor in 1519.
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- Orange fruit and juice ranks highest for domestic foods with the most herbicide/pesticide residue. (source) According to samples from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 100% of orange fruit/juice contained some kind of herbicide and/or pesticide residue.
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- Oranges are technically berries. (source) It may come as a surprise, but oranges are berries! Strangely enough, strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are not botanically considered to be berries.
