204 FRUIT RECIPES 



portions of North America the original, simple form of the 

 imported Seville orange trees, blossoming and fruiting, also 

 offer abundance of beauty to the eye and nostril. But the 

 average tourist fails to appreciate this ultimately because 

 of lack of proper introduction, the taking for granted that 

 this is the sweet orange of common popularity, and the 

 consequent shock on discovery of its peculiar acidity. This 

 results in sudden coolness, the dropping of the slight ac- 

 quaintance, and injury to the wild beauty's reputation and 

 standing in society, whereas, were it but known that the 

 Seville is the proud descendant of the ancient Spanish line 

 and one of the few remaining tangible traces of the days of 

 the gallant Spanish explorers, all this would be avoided. 

 It is particularly a pity that the average Northerner misses 

 so simple yet so great an intellectual and gastronomic en- 

 joyment since the season of the Seville is longer than that 

 of the usual sweet varieties, lasting well into the spring 

 when sweet oranges are scarce and high in price. In time, 

 however, the Seville will doubtless come into favour as has 

 the grape-fruit (or pomelo), through similar experience, 

 for it was but a few years ago that the pomelo was not 

 appreciated; there was no demand for the few shipped 

 north and the remainder, almost without exception, lay 

 upon the ground until decayed because even in the South 

 it was supposed that, although exceptional, depraved 

 palates might be educated to the point of imaginary en- 

 joyment, the pomelo could not be fit for cookery in any 

 form and even uncooked, separated from all "rag" and 

 served with sugar, the result was extremely doubtful. 



From the fruit of the Seville much of the citric acid of 

 commerce was manufactured until quite recent times. 

 From its flowers most of the Oil of Neroli (one of the bases 

 of eau de cologne and liqueurs) is made, although the sweet 

 orange flowers are also used to a limited extent, and the 



