Juiced

 

For years, orange juice dominated breakfast nooks and diner booths, the go-to for those looking for a beverage in between hazy H2O and burnt coffee. It was always there, accepted and rarely questioned. But orange juice as renowned as orange juice was in the 20^th century, its legacy has only grown more complicated legacy in the 21^st. 

 

For starters, the trendy juice craze changed the way many understand and view the liquified fruit in their glass. Colors began to shift. Oranges became reds, greens and sometimes strangely unappetizing browns. The contents of the juices changed practically overnight. Orange and sugar had their moment in the hot Floridian sun. The public could no longer concentrate on frozen concentrate. 

They wanted vegetables in the mix, too. Leafy greens, roughage, and anything that fits with a healthy blender shove. It was difficult to look at a glass of simple, unadorned orange juice the same way again. 

 

Some fruit remained. But it turned exotic, with guavas, mangoes, and passion fruit. Oranges, once the dominant piece of citric vitamins, found itself on the other side looking in. So pour out a glass of OJ, preferably down the drain, since it will attract unwanted insects anywhere else. We have better things to drink these days, and have for quite some time.