Orange

Thought to originate in the Malay Archipelago (between Australia and Southeast Asia), the orange proliferated in the Mediterranean as a result of the Roman conquests. Attesting to its universal appeal, shortly after Christopher Columbus introduced the orange to the New World, the succulent fruit was already being packed on hunting trips by Native Americans in the Florida region.

Although common enough today in contemporary North American and European households, the sweet orange and its varieties were once considered a great luxury. The orange graced the tables at Roman feasts, it was a delicacy and a symbol of wealth on the aristocratic tables of the Renaissance, and even into the early 20th century, oranges were cherished more than candy by children at Christmas time.