By now, we’re all familiar with Stephen Colbert asking his celebrity guests, “What’s your favorite sandwich?” on his late-night talk show. It’s the first thing he asks during “The Colbert Questionert” segment, a series of rapid-fire questions that are supposedly designed to “plumb the depths of a guest’s psyche.” From this question, we know that Jeff Bridges loves cheeseburgers, that PB&Js are Jamie Lee Curtis’s “love language,” and that Meryl Streep has an affinity for pastrami on rye.
However, I have a different favorite question that Colbert asks: “Apples or oranges?” It can be a tough choice for talk show guests. On one hand, there’s nothing quite like a ripe, juicy orange. But on the other hand, they can enjoy apples with crunchy peanut butter, a fact that Colbert often reminds them of.
If I were on the show, I know what my answer would be: oranges. But I’d play a reverse-Uno card and ask a question right back to apple-biased Stephen Colbert: Have you ever had Sumo Citrus?
Not technically an orange, the fruit is a hybrid of a mandarin, a satsuma, and an orange, developed in Japan in the 1970s. Not only is the citrus sweet and juicy (check, check), but the meat has a plush, almost pillow-like texture. The large fruit also has a signature top knot, making it much easier to peel than other citrus.
Best of all, the company is teaming up with another fan-favorite brand to launch an all-new limited edition product. Now, ask celebrities to choose between an apple and a Sumo? Even the biggest apple loyalists may be swayed.
Sumo Citrus and Brightland Launch a Limited-Edition Flavored Olive Oil
This month, Sumo Citrus announced an unexpected collaboration. The brand is teaming up with Brightland to release a Sumo Citrus-flavored extra virgin olive oil.
Sumo Citrus Flavored Olive Oil contains only two ingredients: Brightland extra-virgin olive oil and Sumo Citrus mandarin oil. The mandarin oil is made from cold-pressed Sumo Citrus peels, part of the brand’s zero-waste initiative to give a new life to fruit that doesn’t meet visual or size standards for the market.
Fans of both brands are excited about the new oil. “Oh, you did NOTTTTT,” one commented when Brightland and Sumo Citrus teased the collab on Instagram. “I’m salivating,” another wrote.
More excitement came when the two fully announced the news. “I have never decided to buy something faster,” one said. “This is seriously my DREAM!” another commented.
The “liquid gold” olive oil, as described in the press release, will be available for a limited time starting this month on Brightand’s website for $48. Although it’s pricey, it’s the perfect gift for the olive oil lover in your life.
My Honest Thoughts on the Sumo Citrus Flavored Olive Oil
I got the chance to try the new oil early at a media preview in New York. I first put a small amount of the oil in a cup to smell, swirling it around as if I were aerating wine. If I had been blindfolded, I wouldn’t have guessed this was oil. The product had a fragrant, bright citrus smell, like Sumo rind or the mist that sprays from an orange when peeled.
The taste hit all the marks: it was more zesty than juicy, which was a pleasant surprise, and it paired well with the complex flavor of high-quality olive oil. I kept going back for more, pairing it with rustic bread and whipped butter. I also tried the olive oil in a few dishes, like roasted root vegetables and a citrus salad. Since then, I keep thinking of more ways to use the olive oil, like drizzling it over ricotta toast with honey, adding it to olive oil cake, or using it for salmon or roasted carrots and fennel. As someone who loves being playful and inventive in the kitchen, I think this collab may become an unexpected hero in my pantry.
Dining and Cooking