• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Dominican Cooking logo

  • START HERE
  • RECIPES
  • COOKERY
  • COOKBOOKS
  • EN ESPAÑOL
  • ❤
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Start here
  • Recipes
  • Cookery
  • Cookbooks
  • En Español
  • ×

    Home » Cookery » Culture

    This blog is supported via ads and affiliate links

    Why do Dominicans Call Oranges ‘Chinas’?

    Oranges

    En Español

    Why do Dominicans call oranges ‘chinas’? The origin of this linguistic quirk might surprise you.

    Oranges

    JUMP TO: show ↓
    1. The history
    2. The name

    Oranges are known as 'chinas' in the Dominican Republic because they come from China. Surely not! Everybody knows that oranges come from the Mediterranean. Spain and Israel are famous for their citrus exports with their Seville, Valencia and Jaffa varieties. Morocco is also an important exporter of oranges. But if you scratch the surface and dig a little deeper you will find that in fact, this is true, oranges come from – China!

    The history

    This was news to me. I had never associated citrus fruit with East Asia, which has always evoked more exotic associations of fruits like the mango, lychee, rambutan, and kumquat, not to mention the infamous ‘stinky’ fruit, the durian. Turns out that Dominicans have known better all along.

    To corroborate this thesis, Dominican Cooking reader Lisybet in New York has done some research and found that sweet oranges originally made their way from China into Burma and from Burma to India. The word ‘orange’ is derived from the Sanskrit ‘naranga.’ Though lemons have been well known in the Mediterranean region since pre-Christian times, sweet oranges arrived from India into the Mediterranean and by the time the Roman Empire had fallen, the fruit was thriving on the Italian peninsula.

    In the sixth and seventh centuries, Muslim armies overran a vast territory stretching from India to Spain and thereby allowed Arab traders to introduce further varieties of the fruit to Europe in the Middle Ages. Northern Europe grew acquainted with oranges when they were brought home by Crusaders returning from the Mediterranean and the Middle East.

    Oranges

    Traveling in the other direction, the colonizing Portuguese had also introduced to Europe a variety of sweet orange from India. Then in 1635, the Chinese orange landed in Lisbon and quickly replaced the pre-existing bitter form from India as the European favorite. These better-flavored introductions encouraged the expansion of orange consumption and cultivation throughout Europe.

    In summation oranges originated in Southeast Asia, spread from there in successive waves to the Mediterranean/Europe, eventually making their way to the Americas. But the variety of sweet orange we enjoy today was spread by Portugal directly from China!

    The name

    It makes one wonder whether this is like a linguistic time-capsule. What I mean is that nowadays the information that 'oranges came from China' is not a widely known fact. Pasta, yes. But oranges?

    The Spaniards who settled in the Dominican Republic during the 15th century were aware of the Moors and the Crusaders bringing oranges from Asia because it had happened within their historical memories. They were also neighbors of Portugal and were very aware of what was then the relatively recent history of the sweet orange from China, which was being promoted in Lisbon, hence the word 'china' for oranges. The memory has faded in the rest of the world, but in the Dominican Republic at least -- mostly in the south, the word and the history are alive and well.

    The next time someone scoffs at this particular Dominicanism, fill them in on the story behind this linguistic quirk.

    Lisybet & Aunt Ilana

    Edited: May 28, 2022 | Publish: Jan 2, 2011

    ¡Hola! I am Tía Clara, your host. Thanks for visiting.
    - Any questions or comments about this?
    - Made our recipe? Follow and tag me on Instagram.
    - Subscribe to receive our recipes by email.

    You'll also love

    • Guavaberry Drink and Fruits
      Guavaberry Drink - Cocolo Culture
    • Caonabo's Revenge: Avoiding Food Poisoning in the Dominican Republic
    • Pastelón de Yuca (Cassava and Chicken Casserole)
      What Time is Lunch?
    Recipe Rating




    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    29 Comments
    Most Voted
    Newest Oldest
    Inline Feedbacks
    View all comments
    Andy
    September 15, 2012 2:53 PM

    Thank you for taking your time to explain it. I as well as a dominican, always wondered why we call Oranges "chinas" and not naranjas dulce, but we call sour oranges "naranjas agrias" and not "chinas agrias".

    4
    Reply
    View Replies (1)
    Ina Lipkowitz
    December 1, 2012 8:45 AM

    Did you know, by the way, that in German the fruit is called an "Apfelsine," literally, "Chinese Apple"?

    3
    Reply
    View Replies (1)
    Lissette
    July 17, 2018 6:43 PM

    I grew up hearing both. "Naranjas" in Santiago where I was born and "Chinas" in the capital with my paternal family.

    2
    Reply
    Malena
    December 13, 2012 9:22 PM

    Wow, I really had no idea Dominicans call oranges chinas (and bitter oranges "naranjas agrias" apparently!) as we Puerto Ricans do. Whenever I've heard Dominicans that live here in PR call oranges chinas I always assumed that they had picked that up from living here for so long. Thanks for… Read more »

    2
    Reply
    View Replies (1)
    alfonso
    February 6, 2012 5:09 PM

    the scientific name of the fruit in latin is Citrus Sinensis (citric from china) so in DR we have a correct name for the oranges

    2
    Reply
    View Replies (2)
    Marie
    April 20, 2011 9:09 AM

    Just to let you know, not just the Dominicans, people from Puerto Rico also.

    1
    Reply
    Salma
    October 17, 2021 9:52 AM

    I was trying to find out why we say China instead of orange in north of Morocco and I found that we are not the only ones 😊😋

    0
    Reply
    View Replies (1)
    Sher Arroyo
    June 3, 2017 10:26 AM

    We call them "chinas" in Puerto Rico, too!! ☺

    0
    Reply
    Angelica
    July 31, 2013 11:13 AM

    Great article.

    I've always known oranges as china. 🙂

    0
    Reply
    Russ Offord
    May 23, 2013 11:45 AM

    I've heard Dominicans refer to jugo 'chino', too. (not chinola) 😉

    0
    Reply
    View Replies (3)
    Derrick Leonard
    January 4, 2021 4:50 PM

    Very interesting info. Thanks for the background on this mystery term. Just when my Spanish students have learned naranja, I have to back peddle and say, 'Oh by the way, they call oranges 'chinas' in the DR & Puerto Rico.'

    1
    Reply
    View Replies (1)
    john farrar
    June 18, 2015 6:07 PM

    Orange juice is also referred to as China in Puerto Rico.

    1
    Reply
    Juanita Vega Ribot
    April 7, 2021 12:10 PM

    Dominicans are not the only ones that call "oranges" chinas. Puerto Ricas do so as well. Just a little note to add to your info. I enjoyed it very much. Thank you!

    0
    Reply
    View Replies (1)

    Primary Sidebar

    "Dominican Cooking" is the oldest and largest Dominican cooking website, with Tía Clara's 20-year collection of traditional Dominican recipes, and recipes inspired by the Dominican taste.
    More about us ➜

    OUR RECIPES IN YOUR INBOX

    Discover hand-picked content and get updates in your inbox, once a week.

    Most popular

    • Tostones (Crispy Twice-Fried Plantains)
    • Flan (Dominican Crème Caramel)
    • Dominican-Style Farina: Spiced Cream of Wheat Porridge
    • Classic Mofongo Recipe & Video (Fried Plantain Mash)

    Footer

    featured on

    SIGN UP for emails, updates, and surprises!

    Or follow us on

    Made in 🇩🇴 with ❤️

    © 2022 · LUNCH CLUB BOOKS, LLC
    ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
    DO NOT reproduce without authorization.

    As Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. READ...


    ↑ BACK TO TOP | ABOUT US | BLOG | CONTACT US | WE GIVE | POLICIES | STORIES | PORTFOLIO

    wpDiscuz
    You are going to send email to

    Move Comment