You may have noticed that this winter has been particularly providential when it comes to citrus fruits on the islands, with oranges and lemons overflowing at the Farmer’s Market and on roadside fruit and veg stalls. These fruits are in full swing this season, offering a sweet and tangy boost to combat flu season. But have you ever wondered about the history of these fruits on the islands?

Local history enthusiast Ernest Ferrante recently shared some fascinating insights into the citrus legacy of Malta. The island's orange trees are believed to date back to the ninth and tenth centuries, introduced by the Arabs who brought with them advanced irrigation techniques.

It has also been fairly common for orange and lemon trees to be grown in private residences, with the localities in the centre of Malta such as Lija, Attard and Balzan being of particular renown and said to have the best orange trees, due to the composition of the soil in that area. The San Anton Palace Gardens, in fact, house an orange grove, whose oranges are sold at the annual Citrus Festival.

That’s not the only area in Malta where citrus holds history, though. According to Heritage Malta, in the 17th century, Inquisitor Fabio Chigi, who later went on to become Pope Alexander VII, loved the smell and taste of the Maltese oranges so much that he included orange trees in the newly refurbished garden of the Inquisitor’s Palace in Birgu. In 1635, he mentions the regular use of oranges in his report to the Holy Office in Rome about his Lenten consumption patterns. His writings reveal that he enjoyed his cold orange squash with some sugar to refresh himself during the hot summer months.

Interestingly, sweet oranges, now a staple in the Maltese fruit stall, weren’t always grown here. Originally, oranges were bitter and used mostly for medicinal purposes. The sweet variety is thought to have arrived aboard Portuguese ships carrying goods from India. This evolution in flavour represents the cultural exchanges that have shaped Malta’s identity over centuries.

Do you know any more fun facts about the history of citrus in Malta?