"The Bergamot Sour Orange and Seville Orange are two citrus varieties that should be in every foodie’s pantry," says Phoebe Tu with VegiWorks. They’re currently available from California, but they’re only from a handful of growers. Both are heirloom oranges that VegiWorks Inc. currently sources from Fruition Sales under the Buttonwillow brand.
"The Seville, which is sour, tart and full of seeds is extremely juicy and the skin contains fragrant essential oils and it’s perfect for marmalade. It looks like a navel orange. The skin is bumpy and rough with brown scarring – that’s just the nature of the Seville,” Tu said. It’s an item that home foodies and specialty or high-end restaurants, bars or bakers would want for homemade sauces, purees or cocktails.
Bergamot orange
The Bergamot is easily mistaken for a lemon but this orange is juicy and “much sweeter than a lemon. It’s very fragrant and acidic, bitter and tart,” she said. “People like to cut off a few slices and put it in their earl grey tea and it really enhances the drink.” Tu says its other uses can include infusing, baking, juices, and cocktails.
Both citruses are available now until early spring (April), distributed within California’s Bay area only in limited supply. “For all citruses supplies are actually limited because of the rains we had,” said Tu. “A lot of the crops we had in California are pretty flooded. We have them available, we just don’t have a lot.”
If more chefs are introduced to them, Tu says it could become more widely used. “You have to be really creative in order to use it on your menu.”
For more information:
Phoebe Tu
VegiWorks, Inc.
Ph: 415-643-8686