For the love of Cara Cara navel oranges

I had my first Cara Cara orange yesterday evening. What a divine taste experience! These special oranges have been available in this country since the mid 1980s but only recently have been found in regular grocery stores and outlets like Costco.

Peeling the navel orange and exposing the rosy pink flesh of the orange - like a pink grapefruit - that is such a pretty contrast to the deep orange color of the skin; my nostrils were enveloped by that characteristic refreshing citrus smell of a good navel orange. Only this time it was sweeter, almost tinged with a hint of rose petals.

And then that first taste. Sweet orangey goodness but more complex than that. Other fruit flavor notes are there - nectarine, cherry, blackberry - all combine to give your mouth a treat.

I want to make juice from these ambrosiac oranges and make delicious cocktails. I want to eat the entire 10 lb bag I bought at the store. I didn't do either; instead just lazily enjoyed my sweet navel orange treat.

I was even inspired to write a haiku:

sweet orange goodness

Is that nectarine I taste?

pink fleshed ambrosia