Did you know that the first oranges weren’t actually orange? 

We all love oranges, don’t we? That sweet and sour fruit is not only full of vitamins but also soothes our taste buds. However, oranges come in green colour too. But we all want our oranges in orange colour, right? In fact, in the English language, the colour orange was even named after the fruit. So why are the skins of some oranges green? Let us clear the air for you.  

The flesh of orange is generally orange, but the colour of the skin depends on where it grows. The fact is, in most warmer parts of the world, especially around the equator, ripe oranges are green, never orange. So, orange doesn't have to be orange in colour to be a true orange. 

The science behind the colour  
Actually, orange trees grow well and produce fruit in temperatures ranging from about 15°C to 30 °C. As an orange matures, it is full of chlorophyll. If exposed to cool temperatures during the maturing process, chlorophyll will die off and the orange colour comes through. Therefore, in regions with more temperate or milder climates, the green skin turns orange as the weather cools down in the autumn. However, in tropical climates, it is always hot so the chlorophyll and the green colour remain.  

Origin of oranges 
This fruit originated in a region encompassing southern China, northeast India, and Myanmar and the earliest mention of the sweet orange was in Chinese literature in 314 BC. These oranges, grown in tropical regions, were actually green. As of 1987, orange trees were found to be the most cultivated fruit trees in the world. 

What came first, the colour or the fruit?  
The fruit. Before the English-speaking world was exposed to the fruit, the colour was referred to as "yellow-red”. This changed when orange trees were brought to Europe. Orange became widely available in the markets and inspired the name for the colour. The first recorded use of 'orange' as a colour name in English was in the early 1500s. 

What made orange so popular? 
Oranges and other citrus fruits are rich in Vitamin C, an important nutrient that we cannot make ourselves. Some enzymes in the body need Vitamin C to be able to work properly, including the enzymes that make collagen, a structural protein that supports tissues and organs. Therefore, a deficiency in Vitamin C in your body can lead to a disease called scurvy, which produces symptoms like tiredness, joint pain, swollen gums etc. 

 
Now, this disease was commonly found in sailors who went on long voyages, thanks to their poor diet lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables. In fact, in 1497, the Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama almost lost most of his crew to scurvy while at sea. When he gave oranges to his crew members after landing on the east coast of Africa, they miraculously recovered. By the mid-18th century, the fruit came to be widely known for curing scurvy.