Cara Cara Navel - Wikipedia

Orange cultivar For other uses, see Caracara.

Cara Cara navel orange
Species	Citrus × sinensis
Cultivar	'Cara Cara'
Marketing names	Power Orange
Origin	Hacienda de Cara Cara

The Cara Cara navel orange, or red-fleshed navel orange, is an early-to-midseason navel orange noted for its pinkish-to-reddish-orange flesh.

It is believed to have developed as a spontaneous bud mutation on a "standard" Washington navel orange tree.[1][2][3][4] A botanical sport discovered at the Hacienda Caracara in Valencia, Venezuela, in 1976,[4][5] the Cara Cara appears to be of such uncertain parentage as to occasionally warrant the distinction of a mutation, with only the tree on which it was found—the Washington navel—being an accepted progenitor. Cara Caras did not enter the U.S. consumer produce market until the late 1980s[6] and were carried only by specialty markets for many years thereafter.[7]

Characteristics

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This medium-sized navel is seedless, sweet and low in acid. It is characterized by little to no pith and easy, clean separation from the rind.[citation needed]

Unlike in true blood oranges, where the main pigmentation is due to anthocyanins, pigmentation in Cara Cara oranges is due to carotenoids, such as lycopene.[1][2]

Season

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From the major growing regions, South American Cara Caras are ready for market starting in August, whereas Venezuelan fruits arrive in October and California fruits make their seasonal debut in late November and are available through April.

References

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1. ^ a b Lee, Hyoung S. (2001). "Characterization of Carotenoids in Juice of Red Navel Orange (Cara Cara)". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 49 (5): 2563–2568. Bibcode:2001JAFC...49.2563L. doi:10.1021/jf001313g. ISSN 0021-8561. PMID 11368636.
2. ^ a b Alquezar, Berta; Rodrigo, Maria J.; Zacarías, Lorenzo (2008). "Regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis during fruit maturation in the red-fleshed orange mutant Cara Cara". Phytochemistry. 69 (10): 1997–2007. Bibcode:2008PChem..69.1997A. doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2008.04.020. PMID 18538806.
3. ^ Susser, Allen (1997). The Great Citrus Book: A Guide with Recipes. Ten Speed Press. ISBN 978-0-89815-855-7.
4. ^ a b "Cara Cara navel orange". Citrus Variety Collection. University of California Riverside, College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Archived from the original on 2012-01-23. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
5. ^ Mosquin, Daniel (February 14, 2007). "Citrus sinensis 'Cara Cara'". Botany Photo of the Day. Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: UBC Botanical Garden. Archived from the original on 24 January 2010. Retrieved 30 January 2025. "[...] discovered in 1976 as a mutation of a Washington navel orange in Valencia, Venezuela."
6. ^ Kauffman, Jonathan (December 26, 2006). "Cara cara mia". Voracious Blog. Seattle Weekly. Archived from the original on 2012-05-15.
7. ^ "Product Info: Cara Cara Oranges". Melissas.com. Melissa's/World Variety Produce, Inc. Archived from the original on 2004-08-04. Retrieved 2004-08-04.

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Major hybrids	Grapefruit Lemon Lime Orange (sweet orange)
True and hybridcultivars	Alemow Amanatsu Assam lemon Bergamot orange Bizzarria Bitter orange Blood lime Blood orange Byeonggyul Biasong Cam sành Cara Cara navel orange Citrange Citrumelo Citrus taiwanica Clementine Coorg orange Daidai Dekopon Encore Fairchild tangerine Florentine citron Forbidden fruit Ginger lime Haruka Hassaku Hebesu Heen naran Hyuganatsu Imperial lemon Indian wild orange Iyokan Jabara Jaffa orange Jamaican tangelo Kabbad Kabosu Kaji Nemu Kakadu lime Kalpi Kanpei Kawachi bankan Key lime Khasi papeda Kinkoji unshiu Kinnow Kishu mikan Kiyomi Kobayashi mikan Koji Komikan Laraha Lemonade fruit Limón de Pica Lumia Mandelo Mandora Melanesian papeda Melogold Meyer lemon Micrantha Midknight Valencia Orange Murcott Myrtle-leaved orange tree Nagpur orange Nasnaran New Zealand grapefruit Ōgonkan Orangelo/Chironja Oroblanco Palestinian sweet lime Persian lime Pixie mandarin Pompia Ponderosa lemon Ponkan Rangpur Reikou Rhobs el Arsa Rough lemon Samuyao Sanbokan Satsuma mandarin Setoka Shangjuan Shonan Gold Smith Red Valencia Sudachi Suruga yuko Sweet lemon Sweet limetta Tangelo Tangerine Tangor Tsunonozomi Valencia orange Variegated pink lemon Volkamer lemon Winged lime Xã Đoài orange Yūkō Yuzu
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Papedas	Celebes papeda Mountain "citron" Ichang papeda
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Australianand Papuanwild limes group	Eromocitrus (former genera) Desert lime Microcitrus (former genera) New Guinea wild lime Australian round lime Russell River lime Maiden's wild lime Mount White lime Australian finger lime Brown River finger lime Clymenia (former genera) Clymenia platypoda Clymenia polyandra Oxanthera (former genera) Orange-flowered oxanthera Large-leaf oxanthera Wavy-leaf oxanthera Oxanthera brevipes
Related genera(perhapsproperly Citrus)	Poncirus/Trifoliate orange
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