Cara Cara - Oh How I Love Thee

I discovered Cara Cara oranges the other day. They are a variety of navel orange with a gorgeous red flesh and a taste that is sensational. And yes, the color in the photo  is really what they look like. You wouldn't think an orange would actually look like that, but this one does. It is also very juicy. I seem to manage to get juice squirted into one of my eyes every time I eat one. As far as I am concerned, it is totally worth the pain.

The good news is that as I write this, they are in season (Nov/Dec) as they are an early orange.  And, they are now available in the US, which is how I found them. So, if you are browsing your produce aisle and you see a bag of oranges with a photo that looks photoshop-ed, see if it's a Cara Cara - and if it is, BUY THEM!  You won't be disappointed  They have taken the place of my beloved Honeybell Tangelo as my favorite citrus.  I now look at my tangelo tree and think - if only we had planted a Cara Cara.

I love this orange so much I have written a poem in it's honor. Enjoy.

Cara Cara, oh how I love thee

Your red flesh simply delights me

You're so easy to peel 

And your taste so unreal

That I now wish I had my own tree