Nutrition

Squeezed, Sliced and Zested

WORDS RACHEL HART

There’s barely a dish, a dip or a dessert that isn’t improved with a bit of citrus. A slice of lemon, a squeeze of lime or a juicy orange segment always goes a long way.

The citrus family is famous for its sharp, tart taste, zesty peels and vibrant colours. Some are sour and others are sweet, but it’s the high quantity of citric acid contained inside the peel that gives a fruit its citrus label. Citrus fruits include the likes of lemons and limes, grapefruits and oranges, mandarins and tangelos. When it comes to health, there are few fruits that can keep the winter bugs away like citrus. Famously packed with immune system-boosting vitamin C, citrus fruits are more than just a onetrick pony. Hidden inside their peel is a whole host of nutrients, including a variety of B vitamins as well as minerals like potassium, magnesium and copper. Each citrus fruit will vary slightly with their nutrient profile, but they are all low in calories and high in fibre, which aids digestion, lowers cholesterol and supports heart health. They owe their brilliant colours—the deep red of a blood orange to the pretty pink of a grapefruit, the trademark lemon yellow and the many shades of oranges—to plant compounds like flavonoids and carotenoids. These compounds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which help reduce inflammation, protect against cancer and promote healing. Citrus has been growing in New Zealand for over two hundred years, with the first oranges planted in Kerikeri in 1819. They are well-suited to the North Island’s climate of warm summers and cold winters. Local favourites include Satsuma mandarins, Meyer lemons, Navel oranges and Seminole tangelos. Whole oranges and mandarins are commonly found in the lunchboxes of adults and children alike. They’re easy to transport and mess-free so long as their peel isn’t pierced. But citrus fruits are very versatile, and there’s so much more to them than just a midday snack. Segments of orange, grapefruit or mandarin bring colour and texture to a salad, pairing beautifully with leafy greens and strong cheeses. Then there’s the main course dishes transformed by citrus: orange beef, lime chicken, salmon with grapefruit salsa to name a few. And it’s worth noting that a third of the world’s citrus is squeezed into juice, which you can drink alongside your breakfast or turn into curds, sauces or vinaigrettes. In a league of its own is the citrus fruit that can elevate almost any meal on the planet: lemon. There are few dishes, sweet or savoury, that don’t benefit from the addition of freshly squeezed lemon. There are many meals where lemon is in the limelight (pardon the pun), like pasta a limone, lemon meringue pie, and Greek egg and lemon soup. But there’s even more dishes where lemon is the silent hero, from pesto to hummus, seafood to puddings. No matter what your fruit of choice is, and whether you like it sliced or squeezed, zested or juiced, it’s worth getting a decent dose of citrus in your diet this winter.

Rachel Hart

Hailing from Canada, Rachel has fallen in love with life in the beautiful Bay of Plenty where she is a freelance writer with a passion for healthy food. She splits her time between telling people’s stories, creating web content and experimenting in the kitchen.