An explosion of liquid sunshine, my lunch time orange is an essential ritual which never fails to lift my spirits.  No matter what the crisis, at 12.30 all work comes to a halt for a  reviving five minutes of “orange-time.”

orange

Avoiding contaminating my desk, telephone and keyboard with sticky juice (we hot-desk), is an all-consuming task which no phone call or e-mail can interrupt.  Bursting with zesty vitality, I excitedly peel back the skin before stuffing the sharp, sweetness into my mouth in a mindful moment of tangy bliss.  From frantic and frazzled to revived and refreshed, I flit to the kitchen with the debris, leaving a citrus whiff in my wake.

My strange passion for oranges started four years ago on a winter break to Marrakesh. Departing a dark and blustery Gatwick airport, I was transported three hours later to a parallel universe of brilliant blue skies, chirpy bird song and trees groaning with oranges the size of footballs. Salivating at their brazen ripeness, the first sweet bite was the deepest and one that I would never forget.

Orange trees, Marrakesh

To my delight, I discovered legions of bounty-laden carts offering the amber nectar for an eye-popping ten pence a cup. Charging past the bemused snake charmers and syringe-wielding henna ladies, I got my fix three times a day with change out of 50p.

Even better, I discovered slow-cooked tagines enhanced with a zesty zing, simple desserts of cinnamon-sprinkled orange slices and hefty slabs of orange cake to soak up a sea of mint tea. In a state of citrus bliss, I feverishly imagined my flat transformed into an orange farm with a ready supply always to hand. That was before reading the restrictions in place from HMRC. Crestfallen, I boarded my orange flight home empty-handed.

Four years on and my orange addiction shows no sign of abating.  Taking five minutes out to savour the sweet, sticky, messiness not only allows me to momentarily switch off from the stress of the day but also transports me back to holiday memories as sweet as a glass of liquid sunshine.

What small daily rituals take you out of the stress of the day?  What would you recommend to other readers?