It's all about navels.

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The origin of navel oranges can be traced back to a chance mutation that occurred in the early 19th century in Bahia, Brazil. The navel orange is a type of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) characterized by a small, undeveloped second fruit located at the blossom end, which resembles a human navel. This secondary fruit is actually a small, underdeveloped orange, and it is seedless.

The story of the navel orange's origin begins with a single tree that was discovered in a Brazilian monastery around 1820. The original navel orange tree was a mutation from the Selecta orange variety, a sweet orange cultivar widely grown in Brazil at the time. This mutation caused the formation of a second fruit at the blossom end of the orange, which gave it the appearance of having a "navel."

The discovery of this unique fruit piqued the interest of local farmers and horticulturists. Recognizing the value of the seedless and sweet fruit, they propagated the tree through budding and grafting to ensure its preservation and distribution.

The first two navel orange trees were brought to the United States in 1870 as a gift to Eliza Tibbets, a resident of Riverside, California. She and her husband nurtured these trees, and they flourished in the Southern California climate. The successful cultivation of the navel orange in California led to its rapid propagation and widespread distribution throughout the region.

The navel orange quickly gained popularity due to its excellent taste, lack of seeds, and easy-to-peel nature. Its popularity soared in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it became a highly sought-after fruit both domestically and internationally.

Beyond California, the cultivation of navel oranges expanded to other suitable regions worldwide, including Spain, Italy, Australia, South Africa, and South America. Various navel orange varieties have been developed over time to cater to different climates and growing conditions, ensuring a steady supply of these delightful oranges year-round.

The navel orange's origin is a classic example of how chance mutations in nature can lead to the development of new and valuable plant varieties. Through human intervention, these desirable traits are preserved and distributed, leading to the widespread cultivation and enjoyment of navel oranges around the world.

Fuzzy Navel Cake 

1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix, without pudding added 
1/2 cup vegetable oil 
2 (3 1/2 ounce) boxes vanilla instant pudding 
4 eggs 
3/4 cup peach schnapps 
1/2 cup orange juice 
1/2 tsp orange extract 

TOPPING 
4 tbs peach schnapps 
2 tbs orange juice 
1 cup powdered sugar 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease a 9 1/2" Bundt pan. In a large mixing
bowl, combine cake mix, oil, pudding, eggs, schnapps, orange juice and
orange extract. beat for 2 minutes with electric mixer. Pour batter into
Bundt pan and bake 50 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly
touched. Remove from oven and prepare topping while cake is hot. Mix
topping ingredients well. Using a small skewer, poke holes into the cake
and pour topping over the hot cake. Allow to cool at least 2 1/2 hours. 
Invert cake onto serving plate and serve. 

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