The bitter orange or (Seville orange, safe orange, orange big skin, bigarade, Citrus aurantium) would be the ancestor of the sweet orange. It is the fruit of a bitter orange tree from Southeast Asia and is distinguished by its smaller size than the sweet orange. The cultivation of this tree and the culinary, aromatic and medicinal uses of its fruit have conquered Asia the Caribbean and Europe.
In the Mediterranean basin, where the bitter orange is cultivated since the 13th century, various essential oils are produced. The bitter orange oil is obtained by the cold expression of the zest; the small grain oil is obtained by distillation of the leaves; and neroli oil, by distillation of the flowers. These bitter orange essences serve to flavor various drinks and culinary preparations, and are also used in the composition of perfumes.
The pharmaceutical industry uses it to mask the unpleasant taste of certain drugs. These essential oils are also attributed sedative, digestive, antidepressant and antispasmodic properties. In the West, these essential oils have enjoyed some popularity in the past, especially as light sedatives, but they are now less popular, and it is mainly the agri-food and perfume industries that use them.
Traditional Chinese medicine has used for centuries an extract of bitter orange. Bitter orange (Zhi shi) or zest (Zhi qiao) to treat various digestive disorders as well as heart problems. There is also cooking in China made from cooked immature bitter oranges.
In Martinique, it is also used to clean fish instead of lemon or to prepare meat seasonings.
Very fragrant, the bigaradier is used for the manufacture of orange blossom water, neroli water used in perfumery. Zest is used to make Curacao, Bitters, Grand Marnier and Cointreau.
Bitter orange is used in the design of fat-burning capsules.
The bitter orange contains synephrine, a compound that has a particular dilatory effect on the bronchi. This is why synephrine, like ephedrine and pseudoephedrine, is an ingredient in decongestant preparations.
Dried zest
Take 1 g to 2 g, 3 times a day.
An infusion can be prepared by pouring 150 ml of boiling water over 2 g of dried peel (take 2 to 3 cups a day).
Dyeing
Take 3 ml daily.
Fluid extract
Take 1.5 ml daily.
Essential oil
You can only drink bitter orange essential oil as directed by a qualified aromatherapist.
Caution
In certain commercial preparations intended for people who want to lose weight, caffeine is associated with an extract of bitter orange peel. The efficacy of this combination is far from proven and, on the other hand, it is thought that it may cause heart problems similar to those caused by the ephedrine/caffeine combination.
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