Arancia Rossa di Sicilia

Appearance & taste

All three varieties contain anthocyanins, water-soluble pigments in the flesh and peel that colour the juice blood red. The juice makes up at least 30 % of the fruit weight, and the ratio of soluble solids to acid is at least 8.

Tarocco is round, spherical or oval, often with a more or less pronounced bulge at the stem end, the “snout”. The very smooth peel is orange and garnet red in places, and the amber flesh is marbled reddish to dark red. The juice has at least 10 °Brix. Moro is round, spherical or oval, with an orange peel tending towards wine red on one side. The flesh is dark wine red throughout and very acidic. Sanguinello has an orange peel with red nuances and a slightly rough surface, and likewise marbled, amber flesh. Moro and Sanguinello have at least 9 °Brix in the juice.

According to the specification, Arancia Rossa di Sicilia stands out for its sweet taste and the intense colour of its peel and flesh. Smaller fruit up to size 10 may be sold as “da spremuta” (for squeezing).

Production

The oranges grow in single-variety orchards in the defined area; all steps up to the harvest take place there. Specified cultivars of the three varieties are permitted, for Tarocco for example Tarocco Comune, Tarocco Gallo and Tarocco Scirè, for Moro for instance Moro di Lentini and for Sanguinello for instance Sanguinello Moscato.

For fruit up to size 5 (Tarocco) or 7 (Moro, Sanguinello), most of the fruit carries a sticker with the PGI logo when sold: at least 80 % in single-layer and 50 % in double-layer packaging. Up to 20 % may instead be wrapped in tissue paper with the logo. In closed nets, bags or boxes, no stickers are needed on the individual fruit. Every package bears “Arancia Rossa di Sicilia” with the variety name Tarocco, Moro or Sanguinello; additions such as “extra” or “selection” are not allowed. The entire harvest may also be processed into juice, fruit extract or for industry.

Origin & history

The area lies in the east of Sicily and comprises municipalities in the provinces of Catania (including Catania, Adrano, Paternò and Caltagirone), Siracusa (including Lentini, Francofonte and Siracusa) and Enna (Centuripe, Regalbuto and Catenanuova). By day the sun shines strongly, at night winds from Etna bring cool air, and there is little rain. According to the specification, these temperature swings make the fruit build up a lot of sugar and anthocyanin. The same varieties develop neither this colour nor this taste under other climatic conditions.

According to the specification, citrus growing in Sicily is documented since the time of Arab rule. Above all in the hill country and the plains around Etna, specialised growing techniques have developed over time, and the Tarocco, Moro and Sanguinello varieties have adapted to the area over centuries.