Almost EVERYTHING you need to know about Apples vs. Oranges
I'm sharing the following college essay that my professor raved about. It was in this moment that I was affirmed that my writing skills are pretty good. She tried to embarrass me in front of the whole class as she praised the ease of reading for a subject that could typically be quite a boring read.
Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Apples vs. Oranges
Please don’t try to tell me an apple is like an orange, there are so many differences, it would be like telling me an iPhone is like an Android. Anyone who has ever tried both could immediately tell you how different they really are. Back to fruit… one of the first differences one would notice is the appearance of both fruits. The next major difference between the two would be the entire experience of eating them. Finally, getting down to the nutritional facts, there are even more differences that are obvious.
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Imagine a freshly picked, perfectly firm and unquestionably ripe apple. Then think of a bold, brightly colored orange. Aside from the general size of the two fruits, they are obviously completely different. Apples can be yellow, green, pink, or red. Upon closer inspection, you may even notice a blend of all these colors on a single apple. Oranges are, well… orange in color, sometimes with a little bit of green depending on the chlorophyll content. The skin of an apple is typically quite smooth, while the skin of an orange is covered uniformly with small tiny dimples, similar to that of a golf ball. An apple is less round than an orange, with slightly more structure, leaving an apple capable of standing on its own, while an orange is more likely to roll around.
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If you were to cut the fruits in half, the cross section view would clearly show how different the two are on the inside. An apple is quite uniformly dense on the inside, with a more solid, white colored fruit underneath the skin. An orange is comprised of several different segments that can be pulled apart and eaten individually. If you were to look even closer within one of the segments of an orange, you would notice that each segment is comprised of hundreds of tiny sacs called vesicles, which hold the juice of the orange. Another major distinction that you would notice right away is that the skin of an apple is extremely thin, and would be difficult to peel off. However, an orange has a thick skin that can usually be peeled off quite easily. Most people don’t mind the taste of the apple skin and wouldn’t be bothered to remove it. Even though there is nutritional value in an orange skin, the taste isn’t very pleasant. Apples have a core in the center, which people normally wouldn’t eat. The core contains the apple seeds, which aren’t edible, as they contain a cyanide compound. The seeds of an orange are distributed throughout the different segments.
Fruit is supposed to be eaten, not just looked at. To eat an apple you’d first want to wash it to remove any potential pesticides or dirt. Unless you’re crazy, and you like eating the peel of an orange, you wouldn’t need to wash it first. To make eating an apple easier, you could cut it into slices and then remove the core and it’s seeds, but if you’re like me, after you give it a rinse, you would just dive right in and start taking bites, whole apple in hand. An orange requires a bit more work. First, with an orange, you’d want to remove the skin. Some oranges can be peeled easily, while others need a small tool or knife to help break through the skin. Once you’ve removed the peel, you’ll notice that the fruit inside is divided into about 8-10 smaller segments. These segments can easily be separated and eaten individually. This attribute makes sharing an orange a lot easier, while most people wouldn’t share an apple unless they’ve cut it into smaller segments. Apples are crunchier and firmer, oranges tend to be softer, juicier, and have more acidity.
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There’s a popular saying everyone has heard, but I’m going to change it to something a little more appropriate - “An orange a day keeps the doctor away”. Sure, apples are good for you, but the numbers prove that oranges are better for you. The biggest difference would be noted when you look at the content of Vitamin C. An apple contains only 7% of the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C, while an orange can provide you with a staggering 88%. Apples only contain 1% of your recommended daily intake of Vitamin A and also just 1% for Magnesium, while oranges give you 4% and 2% respectively. Oranges also provide Calcium and Vitamin B-6, you won’t find either of those in an apple. Even though they each contain only a small amount of protein, it should be noted that an orange gives you 3 times as much protein as an apple, although only comprising of 0.9g overall.
There are so many other differences that could be pointed out, but it should already be quite clear that the two are almost nothing alike. Does an apple look anything like an orange? Do you eat them the same way? Do they have the same nutritional values? “No”, “no”, and “no” are the answers to those questions.
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