The consumption of oranges has spread all over the world. For this reason, oranges are among the most consumed fruits, together with bananas and apples. Many countries have dedicated themselves to their production and therefore export. Some of these countries can boast of having the best oranges in the worldDo you know which countries we are referring to?
How many types of oranges are there?
Before knowing which are the best oranges in the world and which countries produce them, you should know how many types of oranges there are and what are their differences.
There are more than 600 varieties of oranges worldwide. These varieties can be classified in many ways such as, for example, according to their place of origin or their uses. In this post we will show you one of the simplest classifications, according to their flavor.
In this sense, we can distinguish 3 types:
- Sweet oranges: They are normally used to eat plain or in freshly squeezed juice. These oranges can also be used to add to other dishes such as salads.
- Bitter oranges: These oranges have a more acidic and sour taste so they are often used to make, among other things, jams.
- Oranges with loose skin: These oranges can have a very sweet or very sour taste. They are characterized by an easy to peel skin.
Where do oranges come from?
It is not easy to determine exactly when the first oranges appeared, but it is thought that it was in Southern China around 314 BC when the first seeds were grown. Since that time, oranges have been modified and altered frequently until the hundreds of varieties that we have right now around the world.
The ideal places for the production of oranges are semi-tropical areas such as Florida, California or the Mediterranean area. Oranges are very sensitive to freezing so the colder countries lack the necessary conditions for their production and are therefore dependent on imports from other countries.
TOP 10 orange producing countries
Below, we show you the TOP 10 of orange producing countries and the varieties that can be found in each one of them. It is not easy to determine which oranges are the best oranges oranges in the world as it depends a lot on the tastes and preferences of each person and the use they want to give to the fruit.
- Brazil: It is the leading country in orange production worldwide with 30% of world production. Within Brazil, the region with the largest production volume is Sao Paulo, with 94% of the total. However, although Brazil is the country that produces the most, 99% of this production is destined for export. Some people think that the best oranges in the world come from Brazil thanks to its weather conditions, which make it an ideal place for its production, which exceeds 35 million tonnes.
- United States: Within the USA, the states that produce the most oranges are California and Florida. One of the most characteristic images of Florida, in fact, is the orange, present in the license plates of vehicles. The annual production of oranges in the United States is about 16 million tons.
- China: China has increased its orange production in recent years reaching 14 million tons per year and becoming one of the most important producers of the best oranges in the world.
- India: The Asian country also has a very powerful orange industry, which allows it to produce more than 10 million tons per year.
- Mexico: This country, thanks to its climate, produces about 8 million tons and some of the best varieties of oranges in the world.
- Spain: This is one of the countries with the longest tradition of orange production. It is said that the best oranges in the world come from Spain and Valencian oranges are so important that this region is known as the "Orchard of Spain". The amount of oranges produced in Spain is around 3.5 million tonnes per year.
- Egypt: The climate in some regions of this country favors the production of oranges, which places Egypt in seventh place in the ranking with almost 3 million tons per year.
- Turkey: This country, although far below the other countries on the list in terms of production volume, has some of the best oranges in the world. Its production almost reaches 2 million tons per year.
- Italy: This Mediterranean country produces oranges of very good quality with about 1.5 million tons per year.
- South Africa: The last country on the list is South Africa, which produces 1.5 million tons annually and has what some people say are the best oranges in the world.
What are the best oranges in the world?
As we have already mentioned, this is a very personal and subjective matter. The best oranges in the world will depend on what you will need them for (it is not the same to choose an orange to make freshly squeezed natural juice than to make marmalade) and, of course, your personal tastes.
At Cítricos Siscaret we sell top quality oranges online, produced in Spain and delivered to your home without the need for you to travel anywhere. We guarantee that the oranges will arrive directly from the tree to your table so that you can enjoy the most authentic flavour. We are sure that once you try them, you will be convinced that you are in front of the best oranges in the world. Try them today!
