Bees’ fav

Orange Jam

A jam for those who are not afraid of bitterness. Not that it is bitter, at all. But it has a bittersweet characteristic, due to the presence of essential oils of the citrus peel. To be appreciated with dark chocolate brownie, maturated cheese, as well as bread and toast. May be used to sweeten black or green tea, both hot or cold.

Ingredients

Orange, sugar, lemon

Best harmonizations

Dark chocolate, cheese, bread, toast, tea

Story

First I cooked whole oranges in water to then cut it in small pieces to make jam. Second, I tried making the jam using only the juice and thickening it with pectin. Third I thought of giving up… til I tasted orange jam in Athens, Greece, made with the peel. But with so many varieties grown in Brazil, which one should I choose? Went through many tests to choose Navel Orange, for its thick skin with abundant oil glands that produce terpenoids that confer the stunning aroma that seduce not only humans but also bees. Whenever cooking this jam, they gather at our netted windows like yelling, hay, let us in, we want to taste this food of the gods! In fact, occasionally, I leave a jar of this jam to feed them outside the kitchen and love to see them buzzing and collecting every single sip of it to take to the hive.

The Acropolis, Athens. From here we have a breathtaking view from Athens. From here we're close to all Gods of the Olympus. From here we listen to their voices blowing in the wind.

Ingredients

Oranges, as other cultivated citrus fruits, are native from Asia and spread all over the five continents after the increase in trade promoted by Europeans after the XVI Century. Brazil is the biggest producer and has the largest citrus industrial park in the world. Minas Gerais is one of the most prominent citrus growing states in the country, targeting the production of table fruits.