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Bitter Orange

 
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Bitter orange
 
 
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The name "bitter orange" refers to a citrus
Citrus

Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of the world....
 tree (Citrus aurantium) and its fruit. Many varieties of bitter oranges are used for their essential oil
Essential oil

An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. They are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the "oil of" the plant material from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove....
, which is used in perfume
Perfume

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces a pleasant smell....
 and as a flavoring. Bitter orange is also used in herbal medicine as a stimulant
Stimulant

Stimulant drugs are drugs that temporarily increase alertness and awareness. They usually have increased side-effects with increased effectiveness, and the more powerful variants are therefore often prescription medicines or illegal drugs....
 and appetite suppressant, and has replaced the banned stimulant ephedra
Ephedra

Ephedra, from the plant Ephedra sinica, has been used as an herbal remedy in traditional Chinese medicine for 5,000 years for the treatment of asthma and hay fever, as well as for the common cold....
 in many herbal weight-loss products. Other names for bitter orange include sour orange, bigarade orange and Seville orange.


unripe fruit called "narthangai" is commonly used in Southern Indian food, especially in Tamil cuisine
Tamil cuisine

Tamil Nadu is famous for its hospitality and its deep belief that serving food to others is a service to humanity as is common in many regions of India....
.






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Encyclopedia


The name "bitter orange" refers to a citrus
Citrus

Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, originating in tropical and subtropical southeast regions of the world....
 tree (Citrus aurantium) and its fruit. Many varieties of bitter oranges are used for their essential oil
Essential oil

An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. They are also known as volatile or ethereal oils, or simply as the "oil of" the plant material from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove....
, which is used in perfume
Perfume

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces a pleasant smell....
 and as a flavoring. Bitter orange is also used in herbal medicine as a stimulant
Stimulant

Stimulant drugs are drugs that temporarily increase alertness and awareness. They usually have increased side-effects with increased effectiveness, and the more powerful variants are therefore often prescription medicines or illegal drugs....
 and appetite suppressant, and has replaced the banned stimulant ephedra
Ephedra

Ephedra, from the plant Ephedra sinica, has been used as an herbal remedy in traditional Chinese medicine for 5,000 years for the treatment of asthma and hay fever, as well as for the common cold....
 in many herbal weight-loss products. Other names for bitter orange include sour orange, bigarade orange and Seville orange.

Varieties

  • Citrus aurantium subsp. amara is a spiny evergreen tree native to southern Vietnam
    Vietnam

    Vietnam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam , is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by People's Republic of China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea to the east....
    , but widely cultivated. It is used as grafting
    Grafting

    Grafting is a method of asexual plant propagation widely used in agriculture and horticulture where the tissues of one plant are encouraged to fuse with those of another....
     stock for citrus trees, in marmalade
    Marmalade

    Marmalade is a fruit fruit preserves usually made of citrus fruits. British-style marmalade is sweet marmalade with a bitter tang made from fruit, sugar, water, zest and a gelling agent....
    , and in the liqueur
    Liqueur

    A liqueur is an alcoholic beverage that has been flavored with fruit, herbs, Nut , spices, flowers, or cream and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry....
    s Triple sec
    Triple sec

    Triple sec is an orange -flavored liqueur.It is widely used in cocktail and recipes as a sweetening and flavoring agent. Better-quality brands are made from brandy or Cognac and are often sipped alone, typically as a digestif....
    , Grand Marnier
    Grand Marnier

    Grand Marnier is a liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It is a kind of triple sec, made from a blend of true cognac s and distilled essence of bitter orange....
     and Curaçao
    Curaçao liqueur

    Cura?ao is a liqueur flavored with the dried peels of the laraha citrus fruit, grown on the island of Cura?ao. A non-native plant similar to an orange , larahas developed from the sweet Valencia orange transplanted by Spanish colonization of the Americas....
    . It is also cultivated for the essential oil expressed from the fruit, and for neroli oil and orange flower water, which are distilled
    Distillation

    Distillation is a method of separation process mixtures based on differences in their Volatility in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
     from the flowers.
  • Seville orange (or bigarade) is a widely-known, particularly tart orange which is now grown throughout the Mediterranean region. It has a thick, dimpled skin and is prized for making marmalade
    Marmalade

    Marmalade is a fruit fruit preserves usually made of citrus fruits. British-style marmalade is sweet marmalade with a bitter tang made from fruit, sugar, water, zest and a gelling agent....
    , being higher in pectin
    Pectin

    Pectin is a structural heteropolysaccharide contained in the primary cell walls of terrestrial plants. It was first isolated and described in 1825 by Henri Braconnot....
     than the sweet orange
    Orange (fruit)

    An orange?specifically, the sweet orange?is the citrus Citrus sinensis and its fruit. The orange is a Hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo and tangerine ....
    , and therefore giving a better set and a higher yield. It is also used in compote
    Compote

    Compote is a dessert made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are immersed in water and with sugar and spices added to the dish, over gentle heat....
    s and for orange-flavored liqueurs.
  • Bergamot orange
    Bergamot orange

    File:Dscf0545.jpgFile:Bergamotfruit.jpgThe bergamot is a small and roughly pear-shaped fragrant citrus fruit native to Southeast Asia. Today it is also commercially grown in Calabria, Italy....
    , C. aurantium subsp. bergamia is cultivated in Italy
    Italy

    Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....
     for the production of bergamot oil, a component of many brands of perfume and tea, especially Earl Grey tea
    Earl Grey tea

    Earl Grey tea is a tea blend with a distinctive flavour and aroma derived from the addition of oil extracted from the Peel of the bergamot orange, a fragrant citrus fruit....
    .
  • Chinotto
    Chinotto

    The is a small bitter citrus fruit from the Myrtle-leaved orange . The tree grows to a height of 3m and can be found in Liguria, Tuscany, Sicily and Calabria regions of Italy....
    , from the myrtle-leaved orange
    Myrtle-leaved orange

    The myrtle-leaved orange is a variety of Bitter orange with foliage similar to that of the common myrtle.It is a compact shrub or tree with small leaves and no thorns....
     tree, C. aurantium var. myrtifolia, native to Italy
  • Daidai
    Daidai

    The daidai , is an Asian variety of bitter orange. The name daidai, originally meaning several generations, originates from the fruit staying on the tree for several years if not picked....
    , C. aurantium var. daidai, used in Chinese medicine
    Traditional Chinese medicine

    Traditional Chinese medicine includes a range of traditional medicine practices originating in China. Although well accepted in the mainstream of medical care throughout East Asia, it is considered an alternative medicine system in much of the western world....
     and Japanese New Year
    Japanese New Year

    The Japanese people celebrate New Year's Day on January 1 each year on the Gregorian Calendar. Before 1873, the date of the was based on the Chinese calendar and celebrated at the beginning of spring, just as the contemporary Chinese New Year, Korean New Year and T?ts are celebrated to this day....
     celebrations.
  • Wild Florida Sour Orange, found near small streams in generally secluded and wooded parts of Florida.


Uses in cooking

The unripe fruit called "narthangai" is commonly used in Southern Indian food, especially in Tamil cuisine
Tamil cuisine

Tamil Nadu is famous for its hospitality and its deep belief that serving food to others is a service to humanity as is common in many regions of India....
. The unripe fruit is pickled by cutting it into spirals and stuffing it with salt. The pickle is usually consumed with thayir sadam
Thayir sadam

Curd rice is a dish of India. The word "curd" as used in India usually refers to a liquidy, sour, unsweetened yoghurt. It is most popular in the Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu....
. The fresh fruit is also used frequently in pachadi
Pachadi

Pachadi refers to a traditional South Indian side-dish. The definition of the word 'Pachadi' is different among different South Indian regions....
s. The juice from the ripe fruit is also used as a marinade in meat in Cuban cooking. The peel can also become an ingredient in bitters. The Belgian Witbier (white beer) is a beer made from wheat which is spiced with the peel of the bitter orange. The Finnish use bitter orange peel in gingerbread, also in mämmi
Mämmi

M?mmi is a traditional Finland Easter dessert. The Finland-Swedish name for it is memma.M?mmi is made from water, rye flour and powdered rye malt, seasoned with dark molasses, salt and dried, powdered Seville Zest ....
. It's also used in the Nordic mulled wine
Mulled wine

Mulled wine, variations of which are popular around the world, is wine, usually red, combined with spices and typically served warm. In the old times, wine often went bad....
 "Glögg".

Health supplement status

The extract of bitter orange (and bitter orange peel) has been used in dietary supplements as an aid to fat loss
Weight loss

Weight loss, in the context of medicine or health or physical fitness, is a reduction of the total body weight, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass, namely bone mineral deposits, muscle, tendon and other connective tissue....
 and as an appetite suppressant, although in traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine includes a range of traditional medicine practices originating in China. Although well accepted in the mainstream of medical care throughout East Asia, it is considered an alternative medicine system in much of the western world....
 it is always prescribed in concert with other support herbs, not in isolation. Bitter orange contains synephrine
Synephrine

Synephrine is a drug aimed at encouraging fat loss. While its effectiveness is widely debated, synephrine has gained significant popularity as an alternative to ephedrine, a related substance which has been made illegal or restricted in many countries due to concerns about potential problems with heart disease risk and its use in methampheta...
, a substance similar to ephedrine
Ephedrine

Ephedrine is a sympathomimetic amine commonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid, decongestant, and to treat hypotension associated with anaesthesia....
, which acts on the a1 adrenergic receptor
Alpha-1 adrenergic receptor

The alpha-1 adrenergic receptor is an adrenergic receptor with the primary effect of vasoconstriction....
 to constrict blood vessels
Vasoconstriction

Vasoconstriction is the narrowing of the blood vessels resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels, particularly the large arteries, arterioles and veins....
 and increase blood pressure
Blood pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood on the walls of blood vessels, and constitutes one of the principal vital signs. The pressure of the circulating blood decreases as it moves away from the heart through artery and capillary, and toward the heart through veins....
 and heart rate
Heart rate

Heart rate is a measure of the number of heart beats per minute . The average resting human heart rate is about 70 bpm for adult males and 75 bpm for adult females....
.

Following bans on the herbal stimulant ephedra
Ephedra

Ephedra, from the plant Ephedra sinica, has been used as an herbal remedy in traditional Chinese medicine for 5,000 years for the treatment of asthma and hay fever, as well as for the common cold....
 in the U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, Canada
Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, and elsewhere, bitter orange has been substituted into "ephedra-free" herbal weight-loss products by dietary supplement
Dietary supplement

A dietary supplement, also known as food supplement or nutritional supplement, is a preparation intended to provide nutrients, such as vitamins, Dietary minerals, fatty acids or amino acids, that are missing or are not consumed in sufficient quantity in a person's diet ....
 manufacturers. While bitter orange has not undergone formal safety testing, it can cause the same spectrum of adverse events
Adverse Events

"Adverse Events" is the third episode of the fifth season of House and the eighty-ninth episode overall. It first aired on September 30, 2008....
 as ephedra. Case report
Case report

In medicine, a case report is a detailed report of the symptoms, medical signs, diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of an individual patient. Case reports may contain a demographic profile of the patient, but usually describe an unusual or novel occurrence....
s have linked bitter orange supplements to stroke
Stroke

A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to a disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. According to the National Stroke Association, a "stroke" occurs when a blood clot blocks and artery or a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain....
s, angina
Angina

Angina pectoris, commonly known as angina, is severe chest pain due to ischemia of the myocardium, generally due to obstruction or spasm of the coronary circulation ....
, and ischemic colitis
Ischemic colitis

Ischemic colitis is a medical condition in which inflammation and injury of the large intestine result from inadequate blood supply. Although uncommon in the general population, ischemic colitis occurs with greater frequency in the elderly, and is the most common form of bowel ischemia....
.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine found that "there is currently little evidence that bitter orange is safer to use than ephedra." There is no evidence that bitter orange is effective in promoting weight loss.

See also

  • Neroli
    Neroli

    File:Koeh-042.jpgNeroli oil is a plant oil similar in scent to Bergamot orange produced from the blossom of the bitter orange tree .The blossoms are gathered, usually by hand, in late April to early May....
  • Orange flower water
    Orange flower water

    Orange flower water is a clear, perfumed distillation of fresh bitter-orange .This essential water has traditionally been used in many French and Mediterranean dessert dishes, but has more recently found its way into Western cuisine....
  • Grand Marnier
    Grand Marnier

    Grand Marnier is a liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It is a kind of triple sec, made from a blend of true cognac s and distilled essence of bitter orange....


External links

  • : Information from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  • , from the New York Times