04 ยท Varietals & Terroir
The California Orange
Not all citrus is created equal. California's terroir (the combination of soil, altitude, and coastal influence) shapes each varietal into something distinct. Three oranges define the state's citrus identity.
The undisputed juicing orange. Deep amber color, high sugar, low acidity. Peak season: March to October. The longest harvest window of any major citrus varietal, giving California growers a sustained advantage.
California's signature eating orange. Seedless and intensely sweet with a distinctive "navel" end. Best enjoyed fresh. The limonin compound turns bitter when the fruit is juiced and exposed to air. Season: November to May.
The Moro and Sanguinelli varieties thrive in California's climate. Dramatic crimson flesh with complex berry undertones and a tartness that works well in cocktails. Season: December to April.
Terroir is borrowed from wine, but it applies to citrus just the same. Plant the identical Valencia tree in Florida, Brazil, and California. You'll get three noticeably different glasses of juice. California's well-drained alkaline soils and Mediterranean climate do the heavy lifting: dry summers concentrate sugars deep in the fruit, while mild winters develop the volatile oils that give a premium orange its unmistakable finish.
"An orange is a mirror of its soil. You can taste the limestone
in a Riverside Valencia. It's there in the finish."
UC Riverside Citrus Research Center
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"How does the same fruit taste completely different 50 miles apart?"