Bitter Sweet
The bittersweet orange is a citrus variety, similar to oranges, that grows on a tree 2 or 3 metres tall, whose leaves are light or dark green in color. It is found wild on the islands of San Andrés and Providencia. The fruit is round and approximately 20 centimeters in diameter with a coarse skin whose color ranges from light green to yellow when ripe. The pulp is of intense orange color and its taste is sweet and bitter at the same time (thus the name given to it by locals) and very juicy. The juice made from this fruit is often used to season fish and to prepare traditional refreshing drinks which are often sweetened with sugar cane syrup. However, it needs to be consumed quickly as it tends to become more bitter as it oxidizes upon contact with air and this is one of the characteristics that differentiates it from other oranges. It is a variety of orange native to the islands and whose particular characteristics resulted from its adaptation to the types of soil on which it developed. Its flavor varies slightly between the islands of San Andrès and Providencia due to the different soil types. In fact, while the former is of coralline origin, the latter is made up of volcanic rock. This difference in soil type means that the fruit in Providencia is much sweeter and fresh on the palate while in San Andrès it is more acidic. Bittersweet orange trees are disappearing rapidly on San Andrés due to deforestation and urban sprawl.
Back to the archive >Esta fruta es base de la culinaria isleña, tradicionalmente usada en la preparación de diversas formas de cocción del pescado. También solía mezclarse con el syrup o miel de caña para lograr una bebida refrescante para las faenas de pesca o de siembra y cosecha. De acuerdo a la información recolectada es una variedad de naranja nativa de la isla que adoptó estas características particulares dado el tipo de suelos donde se desarrolló. Su sabor varía un poco entre la isla de San Andrés y Providencia, dado el origen de estas, mientras una es de origen coralino, la ultima es de origen volcánico, esto hace que la composición del suelo sea diferente y por tanto dé a sus frutos sabores diferentes. En Providencia es mucho más dulce y refrescante al paladar, y la de San Andrés es más acida.
La deforestación del bosque secundario ha hecho que los árboles de este tipo de lima estén desapareciendo en la isla. El crecimiento del centro urbano hacia zonas que antes eran tradicionalmente de cultivo ha hecho que los espacios para su producción disminuyan.
