Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium L.), a citrus species valued for its aromatic properties and medicinal uses, has a rich history of cultivation and dissemination. Predominantly grown today in Italy, Spain, and Brazil, bitter orange is believed to have originated in India. The 12th-century Andalusian agronomist Ibn al-Awam recognized its Indian roots, while Persian polymath Al-Biruni attributed to it a mythical origin, tracing its migration from India to China as early as 2200 BCE.
Despite the vast influence of Greek and Roman civilizations, bitter orange remained unknown to them, likely due to its eastern origins. In ancient Sanskrit, the fruit was known as nagarunyam or nagrunga, which evolved into narungee, eventually giving rise to the term "orange." The Arabic term narunj reflects this linguistic journey.
Arabs introduced bitter orange to Seville, Spain, in the 10th century via Iraq, primarily for ornamental and aromatic purposes in mosques and gardens, which they viewed as earthly paradises. Arab physicians also valued the bitter juice for its medicinal qualities. Despite King Badis of Granada banning orange tree cultivation—associating it with misfortune and decadence—other Moorish rulers in Andalusia prized the tree for its beauty and utility.
During the 10th and 11th centuries, Arabs further spread bitter orange to Syria, Palestine, Egypt, North Africa, Sicily, Sardinia, southern France, and Spain. The Crusaders encountered the tree in Palestine, and by 1002, it was cultivated in Sicily. Its earliest recorded entry into Britain dates to 1290, when Queen Eleanor purchased it from a Spanish ship at Portsmouth.
Following Columbus’s voyages, bitter orange reached the Americas, where it flourished in the Caribbean and across both American continents. Its essential oil was first documented in 1563 by Italian naturalist Giambattista della Porta, marking the beginning of its long-standing role in perfumery and herbal medicine.The Journey of Bitter Orange (Citrus aurantium L): Origins and Global Spread
