B – ‘Bigarade’

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Bigarade

🍊 Bigarade – The Bitter Orange with Bold Culinary Flair

Bigarade, another name for the Seville orange—a highly aromatic and bitter variety of citrus fruit. Known for its thick skin, sharp taste, and intense fragrance, Bigarade oranges (Citrus aurantium) are used in both sweet and savoury dishes, most famously in Sauce Bigarade, a classic French accompaniment to roast duck.

While too sour to eat raw, Bigarade oranges shine in cooking, preserving, and liqueur-making. Their intense flavour adds complexity to marmalade, sauces, and beverages—where a regular sweet orange wouldn’t do. (B – ‘Bergamot orange’)

🍽️ A Citrus with a Role to Play

The Bigarade orange is grown mainly in Spain and the Mediterranean, where it’s harvested in the cooler months. It’s not typically found in fruit bowls but in jars, bottles, or simmering saucepans. In French cuisine, Bigarade refers not only to the fruit, but also to a classic orange sauce made with the juice and zest—traditionally served with canard à l’orange (duck à l’orange).

This orange also plays a key role in producing Curaçao, a citrus-based liqueur initially made from bitter orange peels. And of course, Bigarade marmalade—tart, rich, and beautifully golden—is a much-loved breakfast staple, especially in the UK.

🍊 Did You Know?

Bigarade is simply the French name for bitter orange, also called Seville orange.

The fruit’s botanical name is Citrus aurantium.

It’s a key ingredient in classic French Sauce Bigarade—sweet, sour, and silky, perfect for duck.

It’s used to flavour liqueurs like Grand Marnier and Curaçao.

Fresh bitter oranges are hard to find in the US, so Sauce Bigarade is often made with sweet orange juice and vinegar instead.

🧑‍🍳 More Than Just a Sauce

While most famous for its role in French duck dishes, Bigarade also has a life beyond the kitchen. Its essential oil is used in perfumes and aromatherapy, and its blossoms (from a related variety) are distilled into orange flower water, a staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean desserts.

Bigarade oranges are prized for their high pectin content, thick peel, and sharp tang when making marmalade. The result is a transparent, glossy, and profoundly flavourful preserve—perfect on buttered toast.

✨ In Summary

Join us in celebrating Bigarade—a bitter orange that defies monotony. This bold citrus plays a quiet but powerful role in classic cuisine, from French sauces to fragrant liqueurs. Please try it if you ever spot a Seville orange at a winter market—you may find it becomes a secret weapon in your flavour pantry.