The composition and calorie content of chinotto. Useful properties, possible harm and contraindications to the product. Recipes for dishes with myrtle orange. Chinotto is a tree of the Rutov family. The plant is also called myrtle-leaved orange, bitter orange or bigaradia. The fruits are in the shape of a ball, which is slightly flattened, its diameter reaches 7 cm. At first glance, it is very similar to an ordinary orange. Thick orange peel, easy to peel. The pulp with flattened yellow seeds is divided into 10-12 slices and has a sour taste with a bitter taste. The aroma of the chinotto is reminiscent of citrus fruits. The homeland of the fruit is Southeast Asia. Today it grows in Brazil, Sicily, Jamaica and other warm countries.
The composition and calorie content of chinotto
The orange has little energy value. If its peel is mainly used as an ingredient for dishes, it can be safely noted that the product is suitable for introduction into the diet.
The calorie content of chinotto is 53 kcal per 100 grams of product, of which:
- Proteins - 0, 81 g;
- Fat - 0.31 g;
- Carbohydrates - 11, 54 g;
- Water - 82.5 g;
- Ash - 0.5 g.
Bitter orange fruits are rich in all kinds of organic acids, among which salicylic, malic and citric are distinguished. In addition, fruits contain both carbohydrates and glycosides with P-vitamin activity.
Unripe chinotto fruits contain the most valuable essential oil. The components of the chemical composition are very diverse, they are camphene, limonene, L-linalool. In addition, substances such as geraniol, nerone, D-a-terpineol are found here.
Chinotto peel oil has a light lemon scent. But its properties are similar to those of orange oil. It contains approximately 97-98% a-limonene, as well as ocymene and a-pinene. Terpineol, myrcene, D-camphene, nerolidol are also present here.
Neroli oil, by the way, is made from bitter orange blossom. It has a pleasant smell and many healing substances, such as limonene, esters of geraniol and linalool.
But the composition of the oil obtained from the peel of ripe fruits contains limonene, myrcene, y-terpinene, a-pinenes, fellandrene, camphene.
Unripe fruits contain the substance synephrine, which is known for its brightly grown fat-burning properties. The thermogenic effect determines the use of chinotto as a component of sports nutrition. It performs important functions such as speeding up metabolism and suppressing appetite, which is important for losing weight, and also gives strength and energy.
Useful properties of chinotto
This representative of the "citrus kingdom" has healing substances that the human body needs.
Consider the benefits of this outlandish fruit:
- Helpful for gallbladder problems … The fruits of this plant have a choleretic effect.
- Promotes recovery from colds … The vitamins and minerals found in chinotto have endowed these fruits with diaphoretic and anti-inflammatory properties necessary for colds and viral diseases.
- Treats dry cough … For this purpose, you need to eat the fruits of the orange. But the seeds of the plant relieve chest pain when coughing.
- Relieves cramping … Thanks to the beneficial substances in this fruit, it demonstrates an anti-spasmodic effect.
- Helps with diseases of the cardiovascular system … Provides assistance in the treatment of hypertension. It has a positive effect on the state of blood vessels, prevents the formation of blood clots. Dried Chinotto Peel Powder strengthens the heart muscles.
- Improves memory … The constant use of chinotto has a beneficial effect on memory.
- Helps Relieve Constipation … Orange fruits have a laxative effect on the human body, therefore they are recommended to be taken to facilitate bowel movement.
- Soothes pain … The chinotto fruit is used as a pain reliever.
- Normalizes the activity of the nervous system … This is due to the essential oil of the plant, which helps with insomnia, relieves headaches, relieves depression, fears and panic.
- Treats hernia and testicular inflammation … For this purpose, you need to use the seeds of the plant.
- Increases appetite … To do this, prepare a tincture of dried rind on vodka and use it in reasonable quantities before meals.
- Relieves hangover syndrome … The chinotto also benefits people after a good meal.
- Normalizes the endocrine system … The already mentioned essential oil of orange normalizes the work of this system.
Harm and contraindications to the use of chinotto
Like any other fruit, especially citrus fruits, chinotto also has several contraindications and can be harmful to the body.
Who shouldn't include chinotto in their diet:
- People with individual intolerance or allergy to citrus fruits … Such allergies are not uncommon, so before consuming bitter orange, make sure that you and your loved ones do not have such a tendency.
- Pregnant and lactating women, preschool children … These fruits are not recommended to be introduced into their diet because of possible allergic reactions, as well as because of the risk of gastric problems, both for mothers and children.
- Patients with gastritis, pancreatitis and ulcers … Under the influence of the acid of this fruit, the walls of the stomach and other organs are destroyed.
Chinotto, like any citrus fruit, negatively affects the enamel of the teeth, so you do not need to use it regularly. In addition, you can not eat fruits on an empty stomach, so as not to destroy the acid wall of the stomach.
Chinotto recipes
The fruits of the plant we are considering are widely used in many cuisines of the world. Candied fruits, marmalade, honey, salads, drinks - this is not the whole list of recipes with chinotto.
What dishes are prepared with these fruits:
- Chinotto marmalade … Take 7 chinotto fruits, 10-12 tablespoons of sugar (it depends on the acidity of the fruit), the zest of one fruit and 1 packet of "Confiture". Before preparing marmalade, be sure to rinse and cut the fruit into halves. Then you need to squeeze out the juice. This amount of chinotto should be enough for about 400 g. In a saucepan, preferably made of stainless steel, pour the juice, add sugar and chopped zest. Bring to a boil, at the same time dilute the "confiture". Pour the gelling mixture into the boiling juice and boil the marmalade for about 5 minutes. Cool it a little and pour it (yes, we pour it, because the dish will be watery right away) into sockets or bowls and leave until morning. After some time, we will get a wonderful frozen marmalade with an excellent aroma and taste, which is not inferior to the store. In our case, the product is without dyes and flavors.
- Cinotto candied fruits … We need a peel from 1 kg of chinotto, 2 glasses of sugar + for sprinkling, 1 glass of water, 3 g of citric acid and salt. We will cook the washed orange peel three times. For the first cooking, take 2 liters of water, cook for 10 minutes, put it in a colander and rinse with cold water. The second and third times are the same processes. Again 2 liters of water, 1 teaspoon of salt (thus removing the bitterness), cook for 10 minutes, drain the liquid and rinse with cold water. Now we prepare the syrup (water and sugar) and boil the peel cut into strips in it for about 1 hour. Add citric acid at the end. We spread the candied fruits on a flat surface and leave to cool, sprinkle with sugar in the morning. Can be eaten like candy or used for baking.
- Chinotto jam … Components: chinotto fruits - 1 kg, sugar - 600 g, water - 1 glass, citric acid - 50 g (at your discretion). First, rinse the fruit thoroughly. Then we rub 1 teaspoon of zest and place it in a pot of water. Now we peel the chinotto from the peel and white "veins", divide into slices and cut them, put in a boiling liquid and cook for 30 minutes. Add sugar and continue the cooking process for 20 minutes, stirring constantly. You can smooth the jam using a blender.
- Cinotto drink … To prepare a delicious drink, we need to take 0.5 liters of water, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2-3 chinotto fruits, 1 tablespoon of honey. First of all, wash the fruits, wipe dry and remove the peel. Then cook the zest for 15 minutes and leave to infuse for 2 hours. After that, we send the resulting liquid to the fire again, adding sugar, and bring it to a boil. We remove from the fire. Now is the time to squeeze the juice out of the fruit. And add it to the boiled syrup. Put honey in a chilled drink.
- Whipped up liqueur with chinotto … First, rinse and wipe dry 10 chinotto fruits. Then we cut them into rings along with the peel, put them in a glass jar and pour 500 ml of alcohol. Close with a lid and insist in a dark but warm place for 1-2 days. Now you need to add sweetness to the liquor. To this end, prepare a syrup: mix 1 glass of water with 1 glass of sugar and simmer for 6-8 minutes over low heat, constantly removing the foam. Leave the syrup to cool. In the meantime, squeeze out the chinotto pulp, for this you can use cheesecloth folded in several layers. Throw away the push-ups. Mix the cooled syrup with the infused chinotto and put in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
- The classic chinotto liqueur recipe … We wash 7-8 chinotto fruits, wipe with a towel and remove the zest thinly. We put the peel in a glass jar and pour 0.5 liters of 45% vodka, for an unusual taste you can add cinnamon. Close the lid, shake the contents of the jar and insist in a dark and warm place for 7 days. Prepare syrup from 0.5 cups of sugar and the same amount of water (see recipe number 5), cool it and mix it with the juice, which we get by squeezing the pulp of the chinotto fruit. We put this liquid in the refrigerator. And let it stand there while the peel is infused. After a week, filter the infusion and mix it with orange syrup. We put it in a cool place for 2 weeks. The resulting precipitate can be filtered through cheesecloth. This drink can be stored for 2 years in the refrigerator.
- Orange water from chinotto … Take 10 liters of water, 8 ripe sliced fruits and 2 kg of sugar. We are preparing a drink, i.e. simmer for 1 hour in an enamel saucepan with a tightly fitting lid. Cool, pour into a wooden barrel, add cinnamon and lemon pulp. Also pour in 4 bottles of white table wine, then add yeast in the amount of 1 tbsp. l. First, let's send the orange water to a warm place, where it should stand for 2 days. Then we move it to a cold place and let it stand for 14 days, and you can bottle the drink. We keep it in the cold, having tarred the bottlenecks and wrapped it with wire (the bottle closure process can be performed at your discretion or according to your capabilities).
- Cheese salad … Ingredients: 2 chinotto fruits, 150 g of cheese, 3 eggs, 1 apple, 250 g of mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and salt (for eggs). First, boil the eggs in water with vinegar and salt for 10 minutes. Drain the hot water and fill it with cold water. Then we wash the fruits, peel them. Divide the chinotto into slices, cut the apple into two halves and remove the seeds. Now you need to grind the ingredients in this way: fruits into cubes, eggs in half rings, and grate cheese. After that, mix all the products and season with mayonnaise. And if we are preparing a salad for the festive table, then we can lay it out in layers and smear them with mayonnaise.
- Chinotto rind ice cream … To prepare this dish, you need to take the zest and juice of a couple of fruits, add sugar and cream to taste, mix it all, beat with a mixer and put in the freezer. After 1 hour, you can enjoy the amazing taste of the ice cream.
- Orange vodka … Take the peel from 4 chinottos, pour 4 bottles of vodka into the dishes, leave for a week and distill it. Add 800 g of sugar and filter. You can prepare this alcoholic drink without distillation. We insist 12.5 liters of vodka with 200 g of dry chinotto crust for 2 weeks. After this period, add 2.5 kg of sugar and filter through cheesecloth. You can also add cloves or cinnamon to this drink.
Chinotto zest itself is also widely used in cooking. The thinner it is, the higher its quality. Ground zest is served with cottage cheese and rice dishes; it will give them a yellowish tint. The peel is also a valuable ingredient for the preparation of desserts and numerous confectionery products. It is added to sauces, its use is relevant for fish and meat dishes. Correctly “undress” the chinotto fruit can be done in the following way: rinse the fruit, cut it into four parts and carefully cut off the peel.
Interesting facts about the chinotto
Chinotto fruits grow on trees up to 10 m high. If we grow this plant indoors, then its height does not exceed 1 m. There are thin and long thorns on the branches. The leaves are sharp and dense, similar to myrtle leaves, bright green above, and light green below with translucent containers of essential oil. The beginning of the cultivation of this exotic plant dates back several hundred years ago. At the moment, the orange is cultivated in many countries with tropical and subtropical climates. In the south of Russia and in Ukraine, chinotto is more grown as a spectacular indoor tree. Delicate white or pink flowers give this bush a special exquisite beauty.
In some countries, the orange flower is a symbol of innocence, and it is also used to create a wedding bouquet for the bride. But in Japanese poetry, the aroma of this plant is memories of the past, nostalgia for the past.
It is also interesting that the image of a bitter orange is present on the coat of arms of the city of Lomonosov.
Watch the video about the chinotto:
So, citrus fruits are already an integral part of our diet, they are both tasty and healthy. The main thing is to eat them in moderation, and not abuse them, so as not to harm your body. Chinotto or orange, being unusual, in other words, exotic fruit, is not familiar to everyone. But due to its positive properties, it should be included in our diet, if there are no contraindications to its consumption. Of course, we will not be able to eat orange fruits every day, like tangerines, oranges, lemons, apples or pears, not to mention preparations for the winter, but if you have an opportunity to taste these extraordinary fruits, you should not refuse.