Best tasting Blood Orange

10 years ago

Hi folks,

I'm planning on adding a blood orange tree to my citrus collection this year (all my trees are planted in the ground outdoors). I've only eaten them pre-picked in the market before and never fresh from the garden so the taste has varied a great deal even within a single variety probably due to ripeness or how long it's been off the tree. What's the best tasting variety in your opinion to be eaten raw straight off the tree as opposed to which variety you'd use in desserts or other cooking with multi-ingredients if the two answers are different. I'm looking for the best type to eat on its own. I know it's entirely subjective but I'd appreciate your expert opinions on your favorites, thanks.

Comments (5)

hoosierquilt USDA 10A Sunset 23 Vista CA
10 years ago
Well, I would say for taste alone, the best of all the blood oranges would be Tarocco. But, I really enjoy the taste of the Moro as well, plus you get much, much more pigmentation with the Moro. Sometimes my Tarocco's will just be flecked, when my Moro's are almost black they are so pigmented. Moro has a very unique taste with a definite berry overtone. I like them very much. They both make great juice, and the Moro can be used in many other ways (in salads, cooking, marmalades) giving whatever you're using it in, a unique spin. So, I would try to add one of each if you can.

Patty S.
Ryan
10 years ago
Tarocco is sweeter and Moro tends to be more tart/sweet. I prefer Moro.
tantanman
10 years ago
My Sanguinelli was my best blood orange but it got a disease and I had to remove it. I also a have Ruby, Moro, and Tarocco. Ruby gets no color here, but is the best tasting early orange. Blood oranges are the least cold hardy of the round oranges in our climate.

I have a Jaffa that gets pink tinged on cold winters. When it does, it is very good. I also found another old line local variety that turned pink last year. It is small and did not produce this year. i don't want to have color failure like Raspberry Tangor was. I am waiting to see if this will be a repeat.
floramakros
Original Author
10 years ago
Hi everyone,

Thanks for your replies. It looks like I'll be getting a couple, Moro and Tarocco. the former for its dramatic coloring and unique flavor, the latter because almost everyone I've talked to so far says no blood beats a ripe just picked Tarocco for deliciousness. There's a great video of a Brazilian chef going ga-ga over the taste of his Taroccos, you don't have to speak Portuguese to understand and enjoy it, check it out:

Here is a link that might be useful: A Brazillian and his Taroccos
Adam Opez
6 years ago
I live in Europe and have tasted the three main blood oranges at their place of production.

The Tarocco orange is definitely the sweetest and best tasting of all the blood oranges, assuming it is well ripe, etc..... The Sanguinello is the most sour (tart) tasting of the three. The Moro is probably the most reddish of the three, but also the most bitter of the three. And this of course is my personal experience and opinion.