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Squeezing the charm out of the OJ biz.
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You never miss your morning O.J. Sweet tangy goodness, pulpy or pulp free, it really isn’t breakfast without it. And it has to be fresh from the grove, straight from Florida, right? Well, enjoy your last sip my friend, because it surely won’t taste the same after Alissa Hamilton is through with you. The author of Squeezed: What You Don't Know About Orange Juice peels back the fruit industry façade in this agrarian history of the noble orange and its rise to juice fame. And all the pithy parts will leave you wondering if you just drank a glass of orange juice or oh-jeez-what-did-you-say-was-in-this? Because according to Hamilton, most O.J. isn’t even from Florida, and almost all of it is stripped down, processed, and reconstituted into what’s still somehow legally called “fresh” and “not from concentrate.” It’s enough to make you run for the nearest juice machine. Or just reach for the Tasty-D.
Even more interesting is the decades old mega-marketing effort that’s secured a place for orange juice on every brunch table across America. Much like the mythic power of the DeBeers diamond engagement ring, it seems manufacturers like Coca-Cola and Pepsi have been working hard to out-juice one another and outsmart unsuspecting pancake eaters everywhere.
With effortless wit and keen historical observation, it sounds like Hamilton paints a pretty bleak picture for citrus lovers. But her goal is not to ruin your main source of vitamin C. Instead, she makes a strong case for a consumer’s right (and arguably, responsibility) to know exactly what goes into food and how it gets to the table. That means you can still have your Tropicana, as long as you understand that “fresh squeezed” and “squeezed from fresh oranges” are very different processes indeed. Wakey wakey sunshine, your morning just got more informed.
For more info: Hear Hamilton discussing her book on Good Food with Even Kleiman.
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