Candied orange

* known as portokali glycko in Greek.

I love this sweet. Not only for its taste but also because when I have it, I recall my Cypriot grandmother whom I adored. Whenever she found oranges or grapefruits with thick peels, she would get excited and make these beautiful treats. What I love about them is the bitter-sweet taste. They are so surprising. Its not everyone's favorite but for me, they really invoke the flavors of the Mediterranean. These peels are often served in a teaspoon next to a cup of bitter Greek coffee.

Ingredients:

1 orange

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

Method

Cut the rind of an orange into 8.

Place the peels into a saucepan with water and bring to the boil.

Boil the peels for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse and place back in the saucepan with new water.

Boil for another 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, throw the water out, and rinse the peels.

Then mix 1 cup water with 1 and 1/2 cups sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Add the orange rind and boil for another 5 minutes.

Then add the juice of 1 lemon and remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Store in a sterilized glass jar in the refrigerator.