Rare Oranges Arrive on the SouthCoast, But Are They Worth It?

After seeing one of my friends rave about them online, I had been on the lookout for a rare type of imported orange to arrive here on the SouthCoast.

I am happy to report that Sumo Citrus oranges are now available in the produce department of most grocery stores including Stop and Shop, Shaw's and Market Basket.

What makes these oranges so rare? Apparently, according to my friend in the Hudson Valley, these oranges were originally only grown in Japan; seeds were brought to the United States in the '90s, but they weren't able to grow them here until about 10 years ago. The problem is that the trees are extremely needy and it takes more than four years of care before they are ready to grow oranges.

I was surprised to see them at Stop and Shop yesterday, so I grabbed one. People rave about these Sumo oranges as one of the best oranges you've ever had, so we decided to do a taste test on the air against a "normal" navel orange.

I did a taste test on the air with Maddie and Gazelle. All three of us were able to identify the Sumo oranges from standard Florida oranges, and all three of us also thought the Sumo oranges were juicier and tastier.

Beware, though – Sumo oranges aren't cheap. We spent $2.27 for just one of them, while the standard Florida navel oranges were on sale for $1 each.

The big question is whether or not the Sumo oranges are worth paying more than double for an orange? All three of us agreed that while they were tasty, they were not worth the money.