Fruit
Bitter Orange
A tier
Bitter orange is the culinary category for Citrus aurantium fruits—Seville types, bigarade for sauces, and peel for curaçao and spice blends. Juice is sharply sour-bitter; peel oils are complex and floral-resinous. Essential in classic French bigarade sauces and Caribbean sour orange traditions. Use juice to acidify marinades for pork and fish; candy peel; distill or macerate for liqueurs. Table snacking is not the point. Overlap with Seville is large; regional names vary. Seasonality and storage change how Bitter Orange tastes; peak lots underline why Culinary Bitter Class still earns a separate name in serious kitchens.
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Traits
History
Bitter orange spread through Mediterranean gardens before sweet orange dominance.
French cuisine codified bigarade (bitter orange) sauce traditions.
Caribbean and Latin cooks used naranja agria (sour/bitter orange) in marinades.
Craft cocktail and preserving revivals renewed bitter orange demand.