Above, under & beyond the rainbow: Australian Oranges Now In the Philippines

"Sweet, Safe and Healthy!" - the tag line of Citrus Australia, a citrus importer now here in the Philippine market.

The Australian Ambassador Bill Tweddell and the whole Austrade team opened its door to some social-media practitioner to help welcome and introduce Citrus Australia. It is a group that is responsible in the importation of local Australian citrus produce worldwide. Being a neighboring country, they are now venturing into the Philippine market to introduce own of Australia's pride and joy - Oranges!

The whole event was held at the Australian Ambassador Residence in North Forbes Park and to help showcase the beauty of this fruit, Diamond Hotel prepared some dishes with and in citrus mixture. Talk about the oranges and the Philippine market were made by David Daniel and Andrew Harty, Citrus Australia's market access manager and general manager market development, respectively.

Why eat oranges?

Oranges is one fruit that is rich in vitamins and minerals. Besides the normal Vitamin C that we get, it is also good for pregnant women for it is rich in folate; a nutrient that is needed and important for developing babies in the uterus. Oranges are also rich in phytonutrients which is known to improve the health of the heart. Let us not forget that it has lots of fibers that is important to have a healthy bowel. Oranges are also known to help weight loss and promote healthy beautiful skin.

This produce is perfect in maintaining good health for all ages and race.

What are the difference between Australian oranges from other oranges?

For one it is juicier (1). I personally saw how it was squeezed and the juice in one fruit is enough to fill 1/3 of a glass. The whole packing process is well monitored (2). From the farm to the market shelf, everything is recorded to ensure the quality of the fruit. From the time it was harvested, all fruits are carefully placed in crates and placed in controlled temperature container vans to maintain its color, juice and health benefits. Samples are sent to accredited laboratories in Brisbane to check for agrichemical residues (3). This practice is part of their food safety program in Australia called the National Residue Survey for Citrus. This ensure that all fruits, namely citrus fruits, are 100% compliance with Philippine safety regulations.

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The whole event was attended by various social media practitioners, business people, people from the Australian embassy and from the DTI. The food served that night really showcased the flavor of the fruit. From salads to desserts, oranges were the star of each dish. As a food blogger, I can't help but really enjoy and took notes on the offerings that night.

There was a green salad offered that night along with a fresh salmon platter, a chicken and a meat with orange salad. The nuts with the meat and orange salad was a delight. Light sauce with a crunch and a counter point flavor coming from the fruit.

Chicken and Citrus Salad

Meat with olives and Citrus

The main dishes were also something to behold. The risotto with vegetables was cooked and seasoned right. Though I was looking for a little more kick from either additional cheese or pepper in that dish, the texture of both the risotto and vegetables were right. The baked potato combined with the citrus was a good dish. The starch of the potato is broken down by the acid coming from the orange. The salmon-cheese-orange dish has the right creaminess, acidity and texture. The skin of the salmon is tender and not gummy. The fish is juicy and flavorful; a real delight! The lamb dish is another delight. It was soft and rich in flavor but not greasy. Lamb with potatoes and carrots, add in a little citrus for counterpoint in flavor and what you have is a dish perfectly matched with any starch dish that you can think of. Its like a deconstructed lamb pie minus the crust. Yummy!

Lamb dish

Risotto and vegetables

Salmon Dish

Baked potatoes and Citrus

To close the meal, Diamond Hotel offered various desserts that night. Known for their dessert's line-up, it was indeed a delight to taste their offerings that night. The thought of placing a slice of orange on their carrot cake was plain ingenious! The acidity of the orange cut through the riches of the cream making it a treat worth going for the next slice. The pavlova is quite good! Meringue balanced with a slice of strawberry on top - perfect! Their creme brulee with wattle seed was a treat! Its creamy and smooth and good for diabetics since wattle seed is from the acacia tree in Australia. Known to be a natural sweetener, it is healthy and good for the body. The blueberry cheesecake was created well; it is smooth and creamy in both texture and taste. Slices of oranges were also offered showcasing the juiciness and sweetness of the fruit, making it a good palate cleanser that night.

Carrot cake with orange slices

Blueberry Cheesecake

Creme Brulee with Wattle Seed

Orange Slices

Pavlova

The night was all about Australia; its food, its people and culture and the visual support to its business by its embassy in the international market. They have knocked into our market and we have opened it and in return the Ambassador opened his abode to people to introduce this wonderful produce to the market.

Citrus Australia is looking forward in delivering 1st class citrus produce in the Philippine market and have that relationship for a long time. Presently, they are simply delivering a few metric tons of oranges in the market and they are looking to increasing it and serving more Filipinos. You can get them in some prime supermarkets in the metro. Is it pricy? It is definitely more than the common oranges that you can get in your local market but the benefits of having an orange a day is more than the price that you have paid, plus it is a good substitute to the present junk food that people consume. This will help you start a healthier body and lifestyle that you dream of.

Personally, I am looking forward to see this produce in the supermarket that I go to and share it with the people in my life. It is a gift that is sweet, safe and healthy. A gift that came from the heart of those who grew it thus making it also worthy as a gift to the people you love.

Photos:
(All photos used were personally taken by me during the Australian Orange Launch last July 31, 2014 at the Australian Ambassador Residence)