Traditionally, a meal in Greece always ends in fruit. And while in summer figs and watermelon take centre stage, it’s the citrus fruits that take over come autumn and winter. But it’s not just in their fresh and raw state; citrus fruits are the hero of many Greek dishes from an orange salad, to an avgolemono sauce to candied kumquats. In a Greek diet you are bound to have consumed the essence of one citrus fruit or another whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner. When you think of Greek cuisine and citrus fruits, your mind travels straight to the lemon that makes up the basis of many savoury dishes, but the unsung hero of this cookery is the orange.
Orange groves can be found all over Greece, mainly in the fertile areas such as Epirus, but are also regularly cultivated in islands such as Chios – which happens to be one of Greece’s biggest manufacturers of sweet orange blossom water. Orange blossom water can be used to flavour basic desserts such as semolina cake or halva or is gorgeous added to a simple rizogalo (rice pudding).
Like most citrus fruits, oranges are an excellent source of vitamin C, and packed full of valuable antioxidants. They help keep the ageing process in check and promote a happy heart. They are the perfect fruit for weigh control as they are dense and non-fattening; citrus fruits are low in dietary energy and energy density. They are great for blood pressure control and for protection against cancer.
The fruit of the orange is traditionally used but the peel also features in a number of Greek recipes such as glyko tou koutaliou (spoon sweet) made with orange peel, and peel is also cut up or grated and used in moist orange cakes. Sometimes the peel is sliced and used in savoury stews such as with chicken or beef. Along the Aegean coast, chickpeas are cooked in the juice of oranges. Along the Dodecanese islands, the juice of bitter oranges are used as a brine for olives – just a few examples of how oranges are used in cooking across Greece depending on the region and its climate.
