Cara Cara Oranges
By: Barnaby Dorfman

About

Originally native to Venezuela, Cara Cara oranges now grow in California's San Joaquin Valley, and are available January through April of each year. A type of navel orange, they look like other oranges from the outside, but on the inside they have a distinctive pink to reddish coloring, similar to the pink of a grapefruit. The flavor is sweet but with a bit of bite like a grapefruit.  Cara Cara oranges are rich in Vitamins A and C, fiber and Lycopene. Great served in supremes or as a colorful addition to salads.

Information
Other names: Cara Cara Navel, Red Navel Orange
Translations: Cara Cara Apelsīni, Cara Cara Apelsinai, Cara Cara Portocale, Cara Cara Naranče, Cara Cara cam, Pomarańcze Cara Cara, Cara Cara Sinaasappelen, कारा कारा संतरे, Cara Cara Laranjas, Апельсины Кара Кара, Πορτοκάλια Cara Cara, البرتقال كارا كارا, 카라의 카라의 오렌지, Cara Cara Pomeranče, Cara Cara Jeruk, 红肉橙子, Cara Cara Taronges, Cara Cara Pomaranče, Cara Cara Pomaranče, Cara Cara Arance, קארה תפוזים קארה, Cara Cara Apelsiner, Цара Цара Поморанџе, カーラカーラオレンジ, Oranges Cara Cara, Cara Cara Orangen, Cara Cara Appelsiner, Cara Cara Appelsiner, Cara Cara Naranjas, Апельсини Кара Кара, Cara Cara Appelsiinit, Cara Cara портокал


Physical Description
The Cara Cara orange contains lycopene, which gives the red color to its pulp. This natural pigment, through research, has been shown to fight against certain diseases.The Cara cara navel, or red navel orange is an early-to-midseason navel orange believed to have developed as a cross between the Washington navel and the Brazilian Bahia navel


Selecting and Buying
Buying: Cara caras did not enter the U.S consumer produce market until the late 1980s and were carried only by specialty markets for many years thereafter.

Procuring: From the major growing regions, South African cara caras are ready for market starting in August, Venezuelan fruits arrive in October and Californian fruits make their seasonal debut in late November.


Preparation and Use
Mix its succulent sections into fruit salad, or use as a colorful incredible edible garnish. Freeze its yummy juice in cubes for enjoyment throughout the year. Make scrumptious marmalade. Add pizzazz to cooked sauces. 


Conserving and Storing
To store, refrigerate.



Social/Political
An old variety, the Brazilian type of navel orange is properly called "Bahia." The name orange actually refers to the fruit's scent, not its color. The word comes from the Sanskrit word "naranga", which comes from the Tamil word "naru", meaning fragrant.
History: This unique variety originated at the Hacienda Cara Cara in Venezuela in the early 1970s, hence its name. This remarkable fruit is an exciting new addition to the San Joaquin Valley in California. In 1870, the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C. sponsored the first introduction of navel oranges to the United States, so, of course, the fruits were called Washington Navel. In 1873, three branches of an orange variety from Brazil were given to Eliza Tibbets by an official of the United States Department of Agriculture. By 1878, she had three fruit-bearing trees and had begun the navel orange industry in Riverside, California.