Description
Oranges are sweet, round fruits with a sponge, inedible peel and juicy flesh. The rind is green, turning to orange while ripening, and the flesh is a yellow-orange color. Oranges, specifically bitter oranges, were introduced to the Mediterranean region via India from South East Asia before the Roman Empire had fallen. Throughout the sixth and seventh centuries, Muslim forces conquered lands from India to Spain, further spreading this fruit. Northern Europe was introduced to oranges during the Crusades, as soldiers returned home from the Mediterranean and Middle East. In 1635 Portuguese merchants introduces sweet oranges in Lisbon , which quickly replaced the bitter orange throughout Europe as the favorite.