If you buy an orange in the store, chances are it comes from the Valencia region. Approximately 94,000 hectares of land are covered with orange trees, which are usually picked by hand between November and March. As I write this, we are in the middle of orange season. This also applies to lemons and mandarins, by the way.
Since the 19th century, oranges have been Valencia’s main commercial product. Driving through the region, you can’t miss the large number of orange groves. These are now watered by an irrigation system of plastic pipes, but you’ll still see centuries-old canals running alongside the fields everywhere, where water for the fields once flowed, a practice introduced to Spain by the Arabs many centuries ago. Who receives water and when is still regulated weekly by the Tribunal de las Aguas (Water Tribunal) in the city of Valencia. You can attend this meeting every Thursday morning at Plaza Virgin. Oranges were THE source of income for many villages, and many Spaniards still have a plot of farmland with orange trees.
The orange’s deep connection to Valencia is evident not only in the countryside but also in the city. Valencia grows an inedible variety. These grow on taller trees than you see in the countryside, and these oranges are very sour and bitter. They’re there not just for nostalgia; they’re primarily strong, tough trees that can withstand heat and retain their leaves and shape well, but mainly for the blossom scent.
After the harvest, the orange tree blossoms in March and April. You won’t believe your eyes. The entire region smells of orange blossom, and it’s so incredibly delicious. And you can smell this in the city too. And everyone knows that when the firecracker powder mixes with the orange blossom, it’s Las Fallas in the city. This scent is unique and so closely associated with the city’s biggest festival, which we’ll dedicate a blog post to soon. This unique scent evokes the burning of the old while the new blossoms.
Thanks to the orange, Valencia also has its own drink: Agua de Valencia. A mix of orange juice, cava, gin, and vodka. Highly recommended, you should definitely try it at Café las Horas, but we also regularly make it at the Villa in the summer. Very refreshing and delicious.
Villa de la Tierra is also located in the middle of orange groves, and the fields right next to us belong to our neighbor, from whom we get permission every year to pick as much as we like. His fields are always harvested at the end of February, because that’s when this variety is truly juicy and sweet. The later they are picked, the sweeter they are. For us, they are already delicious now (end of January). We regularly head into the fields with our shopping bags to pick, and during this time, the citrus juicer is always on the kitchen counter. What a wealth, what an abundance.
If you stay with us during this period, we would be happy to pick some oranges for your breakfast too.
