Oranges with Coconut
Mecerada de Naranja con Coco
Region: Spain, Andalusia
Category: Desserts
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy and Quick

The origin of the orange, following the work of the foremost botanist on the genus Citrus, Professor Tyozaburo Tanaka, is an area in southeast China around the provinces of Yunnan and Guangxi. The date of domestication of the orange is not known, and its taxonomy is quite confused. It is known that the orange arrived in the Mediterranean with the Arabs, and by A. D. 976 the chamberlain al-Mansur planted the Patio de los Naranjos (courtyard of the oranges) in Córdoba, this being one of the earliest mentions of the orange in Spain. The only citrus fruit cited in the anonymous agricultural treatise the Cordavan Calender written in 961, is the citron, larger than a lemon and used for perfumes, medicines, and liqueurs. By the twelfth century, oranges were being grown in the courtyards of palaces, mosques, and many houses in Spain. This was the sour or bitter orange, the sweet orange came later, although some sour oranges are relatively sweet.

The coconut that is used in this preparation is probably a modern culinary invention, but the Spanish may have been introduced to the coconut by Portuguese explorers at the end of the fifteenth century. The origin of the coconut has long been in dispute, but because of genetic variability and the number of local names, it is now thought that the place of origin is Southeast Asia, perhaps the Malay Peninsula. In any case, the coconut seems to have been brought to the Mediterranean by Arab sailors familiar with the plant that they found on the islands of the Indian Ocean.

I first had this surprisingly simple dessert after a main course of fritture de pescado (fried fish) in the Meson Andaluz restaurant in Granada and found it the perfect balance to the fried food.

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

3 Valencia juice oranges, peeled and pith removed     2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes       Whipped cream to taste

Slice the oranges 3/ 8-inches thick and arrange on a serving platter in an attractive way. Sprinkle the sugar over each slice. Sprinkle the coconut over each slice, place a dollop of whipped cream on each slice, and serve.

Posted: 01/11/2007