The future’s orange

THE streets of Seville and many of the villages in Andalucia are lined with orange trees.

In spring, the fragrant perfume of the orange blossom fills the air in a most delicious way. At this time of the year, when the ripe fruit hangs appetisingly from the branches and nestles against the shiny green leaves, one wonders why the beautiful oranges are not plucked by every passerby.

Well, the answer to the riddle is easy to understand when one discovers that these are Seville oranges bitter oranges that are perfect for marmalade. But the Spaniards don't like marmalade and think the British tradition of making this bittersweet conserve is very curious and eccentric.