The tree seems to have originated in the Far East in the area between the Himalayas and southwestern China. It came to Europe in the early part of the l6th century and soon afterwards was brought to the Americas by the Spanish and Portuguese explorers. Seedlings of the tree were landed in West Africa by Portuguese, seafarers long before it was brought to Europe. Thus the Guinea trees are the descendants of the first shipment of orange trees outside Asia. Expressed sweet orange oil is a pale orange yellow to dark orange or olive orange, occasionally brownish orange liquid which has a sweet, light and fresh, fruity aldehydic odor and flavor, distinctly reminiscent of the odor from a scratched sweet orange peel. Machine expressed oils are generally lighter in color, handpressed oils are usually darker.
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