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Bitter Orange Marmalade: As British as Andalusian

Bitter Orange Marmalade: As British as Andalusian

Although of Portuguese origin and originally referring to quince jelly, in the United Kingdom the word 'marmalade' applies exclusively to citrus preserves.

Ana Vega

Viernes, 17 de enero 2025, 01:20

A pesar de haber nacido en las selvas más recónditas del lejano Perú, el osito Paddington tiene nombre de estación de tren londinense. También lleva abrigo, sombrero y habla en inglés, pero a su creador Michael Bond se le ocurrió darle una definitiva pátina de «britanidad» que sus lectores pudieran identificar e incluso compartir con el personaje: Paddington ama por encima de todas las cosas los sándwiches de mermelada. Y no de cualquier mermelada, sino específicamente de mermelada de naranja amarga. A nosotros nos puede parecer poco golosa o escasamente atractiva para el paladar infantil, pero cuando 'Un oso llamado Paddington' se publicó en 1958, la de naranja agria llevaba varios siglos siendo la confitura de referencia en las islas británicas y constituía una parte clave de desayunos y meriendas.

During World War II and the strict food rationing that followed, fresh oranges, sugar, and of course marmalade—whether homemade or industrial—became luxurious rarities for UK citizens. They tried to recall better times with substitutes, sad orange-colored jellies made with apple and carrot juice that bore little resemblance to the product they longed for. If for us the "bottled sun of Andalusia" is the famous Tío Pepe, for them it is bitter orange marmalade, traditionally made with Seville fruit. When in 1954 Queen Elizabeth II signed the end of coupons and import restrictions, the British breathed a sigh of relief. They could finally have marmalade for breakfast every day again. The previous year, Edmund Hillary had taken it with him on his ascent of Everest, just as Scott did on his Antarctic expedition in 1912.

Despite being made with ingredients that did not grow in Great Britain (oranges and cane sugar), bitter orange marmalade spread throughout the British Empire during the 19th century and helped create a shared taste, an idea of what was classically and suitably British. The royal family ate it, James Bond had it for breakfast in Ian Fleming's novels, Enid Blyton's characters enjoyed it for tea, and Paddington Bear devoured it—anytime and anywhere—between slices of bread. It is precisely to the latter and the success of his first two films, released in 2014 and 2017, that part of the recent increase in sales figures and renewed passion for marmalade in the UK is owed.

In the Spanish dubbing of 'Paddington' and 'Paddington 2', a linguistic subtlety that demonstrates the British fervor for oranges is lost. In English, the word "marmalade" applies exclusively to citrus preserves and is therefore not comparable to the generic term "mermelada," understood as any sweet preserve made with fruit and sugar. Curiously, both words have the same etymology: they come from the Portuguese "marmelada," which means... quince jelly. In Portugal, a "marmelo" is a quince, and "marmelada" is the solid-textured preserve made from it. The success of the pioneering Portuguese sugar industry meant that in the 15th century, our neighbors' preserves and sweets were exported throughout Europe, so much so that quince jelly, one of the favorites at the time, ended up giving its name in many languages to an entire category of sweets.

Azúcar de Madeira

The English first encountered Portuguese quince marmalade during the reign of King Henry VIII. They adopted it as "marmelet," "marmalett," or "marmaladoo" and soon learned to make it themselves thanks to the arrival of Madeira sugar at British ports. That marmalade from 500 years ago was very thick and could be cut with a knife or stored in boxes due to the high pectin content of the quince's skin and seeds. Apples and citrus fruits, especially bitter oranges or Citrus x aurantium, which were much more common than sweet oranges at the time, are also rich in this natural thickener. By the mid-16th century, ships loaded with oranges and other Spanish citrus fruits like lemons, citrons, and grapefruits were already arriving in England and Scotland. In our country, their juice was used as a condiment, similar to vinegar, and they were also candied whole or cooked crushed in syrup to make jellies and preserves.

It wasn't long before the British discovered that Seville oranges ("Seville oranges" are all bitter ones to them, even if they aren't Andalusian) could make a wonderful marmalade. The first English recipe was published in 1602, in Sir Hugh Plat's book 'Delightes for Ladies', and aimed for a hard consistency. That changed at the end of the 18th century when the first commercial orange marmalade manufacturers in Dundee (Scotland) popularized a spreadable formula with bits of peel suspended in it. This is still how the British make it today, who are currently in the midst of marmalade frenzy because between January and February, the fruit of the Andalusian orange blossom arrives in their markets. The oranges from Seville's capital are not intended for food use, but some from the Royal Alcazar are still sent to the UK embassy to make the marmalade that is served for breakfast at Buckingham. Bottled sun of Andalusia.

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