Keeping things sweet PHL a top 10 market for Aussie oranges
WHEN your country is already among the top 10 markets for a fruit, it makes sense to help things along with recipe suggestions.
The Australian navel orange is back in season, and Hort Innovation hosted a press conference under the Taste Australia banner last week to highlight recipes people can make with the fruit.
The Philippines is “well and truly inside our top 10 markets globally,” said David Daniels, General Manager, Citrus Australia. He said that last year, they broke the 10,000-ton mark in exporting oranges to the Philippines. “We always say that 10,000 tons is a good market.”
“Australian citrus arguably has the best kind of flavor and sweetness of any citrus in the world, there’s no disputing that. And it’s purely our unique climate that gives us that advantage,” said Mr. Daniels during the press conference. “In Australia, we grow citrus in places where we have very hot, dry summers. We also have very cold winters. These extreme conditions actually give us fruit that is quite exceptional. As a result of these extremities, the trees are in constant stress, which means they put all their energy into reproduction.
“There really isn’t a place in the world, perhaps with the exception of California, that has such ideal growing conditions,” he noted, citing similarities in the oranges produced in the two places. Picked fresh from only the highest quality crops, Australian oranges are in peak season until October.
With so many oranges available, Taste Australia enlisted the help of local influencers to come up with recipes using the fruit beyond just eating them fresh or juiced.
Bento Mommas presented a way of adding oranges to sandwiches by shaping the orange into a fox; while chef Luigi Muhlach (son of actors Aga Muhlach and Janice de Belen) presented his recipe Crispy Shrimp Poppers with Honey- Orange Glaze. He noted that “These oranges are actually sweeter than other oranges.”
Fruits and vegetables are a great way to improve one’s immune system, a vital weapon in this battle against COVID. Brei Montgomery, Head of International Trade, Hort Innovation, noted the nutritional properties of Australian navel oranges. “We absolutely know through data that Australian navel oranges are high in energy-dense properties. They’re packed with antioxidants, fiber, folate, and potassium.” She also noted that they help maintain healthy blood pressure levels and a healthy heart. “Famously known for their health benefits and soaring Vitamin C content, oranges contain natural flufighting properties, which might help in fending off nasty colds away,” she said. —