Blood Oranges

A blood orange is a citrus fruit that looks like a regular ol’ orange on the outside, but has crimson-colored flesh on the inside. Its gorgeous red color comes from a pigment called anthocyanin, which develops only when night temperatures are low.

Anthocyanin starts to develop along the peel and edges before making its way inward, so some blood oranges are streaked with red instead of solid red. The pigment is also responsible for coloring raspberries and blackberries.

Blood oranges likely originated in the southern Mediterranean region. The area is perfect for growing the fruit, as the fall and winter nights are cool enough for anthocyanin to develop.