Sunburst

Posted by Fidelity in critical writing, food, Food Review, review

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I ate a tangerine, and wrote about it.

Sunburst

            Lacking the full alertness of all my senses, I grab an orange shaped fruit the size of a baseball.  It fits in the palm of my hand.  I feel so powerful.  I could squeeze it and make fruit juice all in my lap if I wanted to.  I touch it and the cold texture awakens my squinted eyes.  The uneven exterior and rough patches remind me of how I feel right now: tough on the outside with a few bumps and bruises. 

            I roll it around in my hand, contemplating whether or not my throat can handle the tart taste of this citrus Florida fruit.  As it turns in my hands, I debate which kind of fruit this is exactly.  After a few minutes, it no longer feels like a fruit, but begins to feel like a stress ball in my hands. 

            The time churns as I turn the orange ball around in my hand.  From the feel of it, it’s perfectly ripe.  It’s the perfect blend of firm yet slightly soft.  Its size is deceiving.  When holding it in my hand I’m surprised at how heavy it is.   

            I can turn it in my hands no longer because the texture begins to remind me of when I scrubbed the dead skin off my sister’s feet. 

            If you’re like me and group all your fruits and vegetables together by color, then it’s likely there have been times you haven’t known exactly what you’ve bitten into.  I’ve never known the difference between a Clementine, Mandarin Orange, or a Tangerine.  They were all oranges, just different sizes. 

            Thanks to the label on the fruit I see that this is a tangerine- a fruit that is similar to a Clementine or a “cutie” but with seeds.  The longer I look at it the more excited my body starts to feel.  I need the citrus to clear my head and my nose.  I’m excited to bite into it for the therapeutic relief I know will come short after.  Momma wouldn’t tell me to eat fruit and drink my orange juice when I’m sick if it wasn’t actually good for me.  The orange family (tangerines, Clementine’s, mandarin oranges) is high in vitamins and good immunity builders to help fight the cold the flu. 

            After peeling it and removing excess vain I put three slices into my mouth.  It tasted sweeter than expected- less sour than an orange.  After dropping three more slices in my mouth, it was gone.  Although it was good while it lasted, I would have preferred an actual orange.  The tangerine felt so small and unsatisfying once I was done.  I had built up a craving that was merely wetted and left me wanting more.