Marmalade

Seville oranges

Marmalade depends on Seville oranges — the bitter, rough-skinned variety grown in southern Spain that is unpleasant to eat raw. Unlike sweet oranges, Seville oranges have a very high content of pectin (in the pith and pips) and a powerful bitter flavour from naringin. This pectin sets the jelly; the bitterness provides the characteristic edge that distinguishes marmalade from sweet orange jam. Seville oranges are available in Britain for only a few weeks each January, and marmalade-making season is closely tied to their availability.

Dundee and the Keiller family

The popular story holds that a Dundee merchant, James Keiller, bought a cargo of cheap Seville oranges in 1790 and his wife Janet transformed them into a preserve with shredded peel. Whether or not this story is accurate, Keiller’s of Dundee became the first commercial marmalade producer and exported the product worldwide. Dundee became synonymous with marmalade for 150 years, and the term “Dundee marmalade” was used to describe the thick-cut variety.

The Marmalade Awards

The World Marmalade Awards have been held annually in Dalemain, Cumbria since 2005, attracting entries from home producers and commercial manufacturers worldwide. Categories include thin-cut, thick-cut, dark, flavoured (whisky, ginger, champagne), and unusual citrus varieties. The awards have elevated marmalade from an everyday preserve to a craft product with serious amateur and artisan followings.

Paddington Bear

Michael Bond’s Paddington Bear, who arrived from Peru in 1958 with a suitcase containing marmalade sandwiches, gave marmalade one of its most lasting cultural associations. The bear’s devotion to marmalade sandwiches — kept under his hat for emergencies — became a defining character trait and launched decades of marmalade promotional campaigns featuring the Peruvian bear.