Blood Orange
A variety of orange with deep red flesh and a slightly berry-like flavor.
Origin
The Mediterranean, particularly Sicily, where a natural mutation gives the fruit its distinctive deep red flesh.
History
Blood oranges arose from a natural mutation in ordinary sweet oranges, most famously cultivated in Sicily, where the specific combination of warm days and cool nights encourages the anthocyanin pigments responsible for their deep red color and flavor. They've long been a fixture of Mediterranean cooking and drinking, and gained wider popularity in North American and international bartending over the past few decades as a striking, flavorful, photogenic alternative to standard orange juice.
Flavor profile
Sweet-tart orange flavor with a distinct berry-like undertone (often compared to raspberry) not present in a standard orange.
Tasting notes
Tastes like a regular orange with an added layer of dark berry sweetness and slightly more tartness, and its deep red juice adds a striking color to any drink it's used in, beyond just flavor.
Substitutes
- Regular orange juice with a splash of cranberry or pomegranate juice, to approximate both the berry note and the color.
- Grapefruit juice, for a different but comparably tart-sweet citrus substitute.
- Blood orange soda or bitters, when fresh blood oranges aren't in season.
Common cocktails