Arancini – traditional Dubrovnik homemade sweets
A decoration, medication, and treat
The Seville oranges, or the sour or bitter oranges – as the people of Dubrovnik call them – has always adorned the gardens of Dubrovnik as an almost indispensable detail against stone walls in the courtyards. Today they welcome visitors in the public gardens located at the western and eastern City gates, particularly in autumn and winter when the evergreen branches become heavy with fruit.
You will find them all over the city during holidays and festivities. Laurel wreaths garnished with bitter oranges are traditional ancient city decorations.
The bitter orange came to our region in the 10th century from the Arabian Peninsula and in the course of time, it has become an essential tree in every traditional Dubrovnik garden, a synonym for a beautiful and well-kept garden. By the way, the bitter orange is a very hardy and long-lived plant, which does not require special care and can withstand long dry summers.
Recognized in gastronomy from ancient times, a sour orange also has medical properties.
The Dubrovnik homemade sweets “arancini” – sugar-coated orange peel is widely known, as well as bitter orange jam. Bitter orange juice consumed with tea soothes colds and flu. Tea made from bitter orange leaves calms the nerves and facilitates digestion. The bitter orange’s essential oil is used in the perfume industry. Nowadays there are around 2000 bitter orange trees in the Dubrovnik wider area.
Arancini recipe
Important: For the arancini, you need organic oranges, not treated with any pesticides that could remain on the oranges.
1. Peel the oranges. Cut the peels into strips. Pour them with cold water and cook till it boils. Boil for 5 minutes. Pour out the hot water and repeat the procedure 2 more times.
2. Drain the peels and weigh them. Prepare the amount of sugar of the same weight as orange peels. Mix that sugar with 2 dl of water and boil to dissolve the sugar. Add orange peels to that syrup.
3. Reduce the fire and lightly cook with constant stirring for about half an hour until the peels are glazed. Don’t let peels caramelized! They have to stay soft.
4. Get off the fire. A sheet of baking paper sprinkle with sugar and roll the glazed peels in the sugar. Be sure to roll each strip separately.
5. Leave them on the sheet to dry for several hours (4-5 hours).
Enjoy!
It is hard to resist the temptation and not eat them right away. However, they will need to rest a few hours once they are done.
Arancini – traditional Dubrovnik homemade sweets
A decoration, medication, and treat
The Seville oranges, or the sour or bitter oranges – as the people of Dubrovnik call them – has always adorned the gardens of Dubrovnik as an almost indispensable detail against stone walls in the courtyards. Today they welcome visitors in the public gardens located at the western and eastern City gates, particularly in autumn and winter when the evergreen branches become heavy with fruit.
You will find them all over the city during holidays and festivities. Laurel wreaths garnished with bitter oranges are traditional ancient city decorations.
The bitter orange came to our region in the 10th century from the Arabian Peninsula and in the course of time, it has become an essential tree in every traditional Dubrovnik garden, a synonym for a beautiful and well-kept garden. By the way, the bitter orange is a very hardy and long-lived plant, which does not require special care and can withstand long dry summers.
Recognized in gastronomy from ancient times, a sour orange also has medical properties.
The Dubrovnik homemade sweets “arancini” – sugar-coated orange peel is widely known, as well as bitter orange jam. Bitter orange juice consumed with tea soothes colds and flu. Tea made from bitter orange leaves calms the nerves and facilitates digestion. The bitter orange’s essential oil is used in the perfume industry. Nowadays there are around 2000 bitter orange trees in the Dubrovnik wider area.
Arancini recipe
Important: For the arancini, you need organic oranges, not treated with any pesticides that could remain on the oranges.
1. Peel the oranges. Cut the peels into strips. Pour them with cold water and cook till it boils. Boil for 5 minutes. Pour out the hot water and repeat the procedure 2 more times.
2. Drain the peels and weigh them. Prepare the amount of sugar of the same weight as orange peels. Mix that sugar with 2 dl of water and boil to dissolve the sugar. Add orange peels to that syrup.
3. Reduce the fire and lightly cook with constant stirring for about half an hour until the peels are glazed. Don’t let peels caramelized! They have to stay soft.
4. Get off the fire. A sheet of baking paper sprinkle with sugar and roll the glazed peels in the sugar. Be sure to roll each strip separately.
5. Leave them on the sheet to dry for several hours (4-5 hours).
Enjoy!
