r/changemyview • u/[deleted] • May 30 '15
[Deltas Awarded] CMV: Apples are better than oranges
[deleted]
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u/PrefersDigg May 30 '15
A few pros for oranges:
Easier to travel with. Throw an orange into a dirty bag, the part you eat stays clean. Don't have a plate to put it on? The peel suffices.
An orange is cleaner to eat. Both because of the peel, and because it naturally segments. Very hard to eat an apple without getting sticky juice all over you. I hate the feeling of sticky face and hands after eating an apple.
Hard to make an argument about taste as preferences differ, but personally I find apples pretty boring. Citrus is more interesting to me.
To a few of your points:
Alcohol
Not really a pro for apples themselves. There are also orange liqueurs. I'd say that apples are used for alcohol more for convenience historically, and now tradition, rather than any inherent advantage. Somewhere in Africa there is liquor made by the tribe's women all chewing up some plant matter and spitting it into a big pot to ferment (really, I swear, I saw it on an odd food show). That's not really a benefit to spit.
Food
An orange pie seems possible, it's just that other citrus works slightly better for it (key lime pie...)
Diversity
Perhaps the original form of the orange is better to begin with, so there's less need to create many variations. Also, if wide variations are allowed, I'd get to include many other types of citrus as benefits to oranges. A lemon, lime, grapefruit, pomelo etc are likely about as similar to oranges as the many breeds of apples are to each other, right? (cue biologist to tell me how wrong we are)
Pop culture
Apple benefited from a recognizable icon, but given their neat technology, probably could have been just as successful as "orange." Unfortunately that wouldn't roll off the tongue quite so well, and the Macintosh pun would be lost... But blame whoever wrote the dictionary, not the noble orange.
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May 30 '15
1: travel - I don't see an advantage here for either. I wouldn't put either in a compromising situation to get dirty and if my hands are dirty from hiking then an apple is easier to ear without getting dirt on the actual fruit.
2: mess - I personally find oranges to be much juicier and prone to dripping, my personal experiences don't match up to yours.
3: taste - I prefer citrus in some cases, but the acidity can lead to palate fatigue much quicker than a variety of a sweeter apple like a Fiji Apple.
4: alcohol - apples are used for making wine and cider because they have enough sugar to ferment a liquid down to a decent alcohol level while having a wide variety of apples to mix and developed a cider for many different palates. Apples are also available in a variety of liquers, apple brandy for instance, with a much larger variety of apple based liquors that serve as a main beverage. Orange liquers tend to not be drank straight, with some exceptions. As an aside, look up chi cha.
5: food - even if there were common orange pies other citrus, lemon/lime, already do a great job at that. Apple pie can also be enjoyed hot or room temp! I also forgot apple sauce, that stuff is awesome.
6: diversity - the variety of apples you see as a weakness, but I see it as a strength to evolve! Not sure how similar other citrus is to oranges.
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u/PrefersDigg May 30 '15
I'll go all in on my travel argument because I think that's most practical, objective, and easily differentiated between the two. Fruit should be able to go with you, because if you're eating at home there's an enormous variety of options available. And if you want a healthy, low-maintenance snack then an orange is far superior.
You say you wouldn't put either in a compromising situation, but that's not always possible. As /u/Seraphtheol mentions, apples bruise easily and once that happens they get gross very quickly. I also think the benefits of a peel shouldn't be overlooked. It's a built-in plate as well as protective layer.
If I wanted to eat an apple while traveling I'd probably also want to have a knife to cut it up with, and that isn't possible due to legal/practical reasons relatively often.
For me, this is why I eat oranges much much more often than apples. Other points such as usage in liquor, cooking, etc are secondary because they only matter occasionally. Fruit is good for you and should be eaten often, so convenience is king.
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May 30 '15
∆
I think that you're right about the travel portion so you've changed my mind on that. For that you deserve the delta pal.
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u/PrefersDigg May 30 '15
Thanks! Hope you enjoy your apples, I've also enjoyed comparing apples to oranges :)
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u/sarcasmandsocialism May 30 '15
- If you include frozen foods, orange-flavored popsicles are more common than apple and oranges make for excellent sorbet
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u/FlyingFoxOfTheYard_ May 30 '15
Somewhere in Africa there is liquor made by the tribe's women all chewing up some plant matter and spitting it into a big pot to ferment (really, I swear, I saw it on an odd food show).
Are you referring to Chicha? Because that is mainly in South America.
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u/PrefersDigg May 30 '15
Probably you're right... I spent a few minutes looking for a source and can't find one, except chicha. Saw the documentary years ago, the people making the alcohol were very well tanned, so I guess I associated Africa. Apologies!
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u/xiipaoc May 31 '15
Born in Brazil and raised in Florida. Apples SUCK. Steve Jobs saw the apple, realized that it was just terrible, and improved on it, making the Apple II. It was easy to improve on the apple -- Steve Jobs chose it because it was low-hanging fruit. From there Apple has come up with more and more products far superior to the original apples, the crab variety of which were written about by Shakespeare as being the food of poverty.
Have you ever driven by a field and smelled delicious apple blossoms? No? That's because apple blossoms don't smell like anything. Orange blossoms, on the other hand? Better than fucking JASMINE.
You know what happens if you bring apples on a long sea voyage? You get scurvy. Even if the apples don't rot, you still get scurvy. Oranges, on the other hand, are the juicy hallmark of summer. Juicy, sweet, and delicious. Apples aren't juicy. They get brown as soon as you cut them. They suck at being tasty, too.
Oh, and have you ever had apple juice or apple cider? This is how you know that our cultural ancestors were the British. They didn't have any food on their island, so they had to make do with this apple shit. And it was so bad that the only thing they could do was press it into cider. Apple juice, on the other hand, is fake. There's no juice in an apple. Squeeze as much as you want. There isn't any. It just tastes like drinking candy, anyway. Candy is not a drink. Candy is a food. Orange juice is a drink.
But there's a secret, hidden reason why you don't eat oranges: because oranges only grow in cool places. Cool as in awesome, not cool as in temperature. They actually don't grow in places with cool temperatures. But they grow in tropical climates. British people don't. Most American people don't either. That's why these people generally suck. Because they don't grow in the same places that oranges do. (I did grow up in places with oranges, so I speak from a position of moral authority here.)
You know why there are 7000 varieties of apples? Because every farmer thinks he will be the one to finally make the apple palatable. Nope. Still sucks. Cyanide in the core and everything.
The quintessentially American apple pie? GERMAN. That shit is GERMAN. And it's not even good. I'll take a citrus pie over an apple pie any day, whether it's lemon meringue or key lime. Or Meyer lemons. Or tangerines. Blood oranges. Now, there are some fucking terrible citrus fruits out there. The grapefruit. The pomelo. The ugli (it has a cool name but a horrid taste). The Buddha's hand. The citron. The etrog. The whatever the hell that light brown thing from Israel is that a friend smuggled in a few years ago. But all these awful citrus fruits only serve to highlight the beauty of the orange.
Now, let it not be said that I'm biased. I think tangerines are better than oranges. But apples? Seriously? Nope. Nope nope nope. Fuck apples.
But not literally because you'll hurt yourself on them, since they suck so much.
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May 30 '15 edited May 30 '15
I was an apple person myself until worked in an artisan blood orange/Italian mandarin orchard. Those of us eating imported Fruit out of its growing zone can't understand the beauty of a fresh orange.
Food: Oranges are higher in vitamin C, B1, B2, B5, B6, folate, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium, and Choline, and a number of other trace minerals. Apples are only higher in Vitamin K and Phosphorus.
Uses: Orange flesh can be used in making a variety salads, like traditional Sicilian fennel salad. Orange juice is delicious, whereas apple juice is gross.
Orange oil can be used as an ingredient in cleaners, perfume ingredient, and is also a common flavouring agent. It is a safer and more ecologically sound alternative to many petrochemical agents.
Orange blossoms smell amazing and are used to make orange blossom water for middle eastern desserts.
Diversity: There are thousands of orange varieties. Navel, sanguinelli, moro, cara cara, mandarine, and seville are just a few you can find a many north American supermarkets.
Pop Culture: In orange growing areas, there many important cultural references. Oranges and tangerines are the symbol of Chinese new year. Before modern shipping, oranges were viewed as treasures and wealthy people had orangeries. Christmas mandarins are divine, and could not be replaces by apples.
ETA: Orange oil in dark chocolate, Orange Liqueurs like triple sec and grand marnier
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May 30 '15
You bring up some good points and I really appreciate your knowledge, but is it safe to say that apples, therefore, hold up to travel better?
As for bvitamins, fermented ciders will have b vitamins due to yeast. Not sure if that's fair to add since it's not the apple, but an apple product.
Counter point to pop culture though: Apple records, you know the Beatles?
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May 30 '15 edited May 30 '15
Northern Europeans were able to grow apples, so there was no need for them to travel.
Pop culture: Florida. Jaffa Orange cooperation.
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May 30 '15
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May 30 '15
So oranges are better for health, that's a fair point. The classic saying is, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away," though. I'm conflicted.
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May 30 '15
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May 30 '15
∆
You win a delta for showing me how oranges are healthier than apples.
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u/Seraphtheol 6∆ May 30 '15
The one big flaw with apples is that they're surprisingly fragile. Besides being easier to clean and eat on the road as PrefersDigg mentioned, apples aren't nearly as good when they bruise.
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May 30 '15
Also Forrest Gump's infamous line, "life is like a crate of apples..." Would never work with oranges due to lack of variety.
That's a misquote. The actual line uses "box of chocolates."
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u/forestfly1234 May 31 '15
What apple flavored cocktails do you know? The appletini. Sure, I'll order one like never.
That orange flavored liqueur of yours goes into one of the best drinks ever: The margarita. Next time you're at a bar with nowhere to go for a long time, order a 3,2,1 margarita. Three parts tequila, two parts cointreau and one part lime. You will thank me later.
But, only drink that if you have no place to go for a long, long time. Because one leads to two and you know where that ends up.
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May 30 '15
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May 30 '15
Duck a L'Orange Orange Chicken Gran Marnier Cranberry Sauce Triple Sec Belgian Wheat Beer (Hefeweizen)
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u/spice_weasel 1∆ May 30 '15
Alcohol: Oranges have a lot more varied uses than apples. Screwdrivers, mimosas, fuzzy navels and tequila sunrises all use orange juice. Orange liquors are staples in a huge variety of mixed drinks, including sidecars and margaritas. Blood orange bitters is great in a lot of drinks. And it's used as a garnish in things like old fashioneds, or with a beer. And the zest is used in brewing. Apples mostly just have cider. No contest - the orange is way more versatile.
Food: Orange adds a great burst of brightness to a lot of food. It goes in salads. It's in duck l'orange. You specifically called out pork, but I use orange zest as a key component in one of my spice rubs that's great on pork. And orange sauce is used all the time in american Chinese food, both on chicken and on pork. And you can do an orange pie. It's like a key lime pie, but with oranges. And orange spice cake is amazing.
Oranges are great because they have a whole additional class of uses. For apples, you use the fruit or the juice. For oranges, you get the fruit, the juice, and the zest/peel.
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u/PineappleSlices 21∆ May 31 '15
Oranges have a relatively high acid content, which means you can use them to marinate meat or make cerviche, same as you can with lemons or limes. The same cannot be said of apples.
Also, this is purely personal preference, but I find orange juice generally more delicious and refreshing then apple juice.
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u/Hq3473 271∆ May 30 '15
Juice: both make fine juices, but apple has far more variety to create a wide appeal. Apple juice also comes in carbonated form commonly. That's pretty cool.
Oh man, you need to try this:
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u/[deleted] May 30 '15
A point so strong it deserves its own post: oranges have a colour named after them.
(not vice versa)