The Jaffa Orange: How a Fruit Shaped Palestine

In this episode of The History of Palestine, Lucas and Luna explore the surprising story of the Jaffa orange, a fruit that became a symbol of Palestinian identity, economic resilience, and the conflict itself. From its origins in the late 19th century to its role in the Nakba and beyond, the Jaffa orange—known locally as ‘burtuqal’—traveled across the globe, building the economy of Palestine and later being rebranded as an Israeli export. Lucas traces the rise of the orange groves around Jaffa, the key Arab and Jewish citrus families like the Dajani and the Rokach, and how the fruit’s golden era ended with the 1948 war. The episode also touches on the modern revival of Palestinian citrus farming and the bittersweet taste of a fruit that carries a homeland’s memory.

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