These oranges aren't exactly orange though. They have a reddish tinge to them. They are smaller than a navel orange but larger than a clementine/satsuma. They are not blood oranges, but certain striations in the pulp seem to suggest that small slivers of blood orange snuck their way past the thick rind. Perhaps this accounts for the unique flavor.
After dinner, my host family always places a basket of fruit on the table. I have eaten one the past three nights.
Today I had a break between classes, so I went in search of a magical Sicilian orange. One of my classmates and I found a small market but none of the oranges looked like the ones from the fruit basket. I decided I would have an apple instead. Another customer was sorting through some pears. She was wearing a plastic glove. I thought this was strange until I noticed there was a pile of gloves next to the fruit display. I put one on too, and selected my apple. I walked up to the register, placed the apple on the counter and the cashier picked it up and then handed it back to me. I furrowed my brow, squinted my eyes-- hoping this was the international expression for "I'm confused." She pointed back to the cart where the gloves were and said what soon figured out was a command to weigh the fruit-- pesate! At this same moment a young man walked through the sliding glass door, snatched my apple, walked the few steps over to the scale, weighed the fruit and returned with a small receipt detailing its weight and price. I paid and walked out a little flustered. I rinsed the apple with some mineral water--the only bottled water I have seen here so far--and went on my way; a simple, but important lesson learned.
After dinner, fruit arrived on the table, and I got my orange for the day. My Italian hosts skillfully peel their fruit with a sharp knife. They swirl and swirl the blade around the circumference until a perfect ringlet of rind/skin appears. I will work on developing this talent.
By the piece? By the pound? Apparently an international quandry! Have you found pomegranate? Certainly not at 30 cents. (what is the money unit below the Euro? Do we bother with smaller amounts?) We have apparently invited a deep freeze in--tomorrow may hit 20o F for the high temp. Hope all the visitors for the inauguration brought their long johns. The nearest parking is in Richmond with shuttle buses to the Metro.
ReplyDeleteas a silly old novel said, oranges are not the only fruit. but beware, there is good use for the rind, too. and the money unit below the euro is the unimaginative cent, which makes for a lot of heavy coinage, coined to weigh you down. i recommend spending it all on fruit
ReplyDeleteFive flights of stairs here. Although we're on the 4th floor (They label the real first floor as 0). My senora also has mastered peeling 'mandarinas' with her little sharp knife AND I was turned away at the grocery store when trying to buy a bag of oranges the other day... Apparently SU didn't prepare us in our pre-study abroad prep for some of these common European situations which I am finding quite amusing and charming.
ReplyDeleteAdios!