American OJ isn't good

               Turkey is the land of oranges. In Selcuk, there were orange trees lining the streets, branches full of fruit. Same in Bodrum and towns all over the center of the country.

               Lots of oranges means lots of freshly squeezed orange juice, and when you compare it to the store-bought American variety, well, there’s no competition at all.

               For the uninitiated, freshly squeezed orange juice means walking up to the café/stand, pointing at a pile of oranges, and watching as the man or woman slices a few in half, puts them into a juicer, and pulls the handle, sending the nectar falling into an awaiting glass below.

               The result is half a liter of the sweetest semi-pulpy liquid you’ve ever tasted. It’s refreshing- perfect for a hot day- and more satisfying than water. It goes well with breakfast, lunch, or an after-dinner snack. Better yet, it’s cheap, costing no more than a couple dollars.

               The American packaging often says “100% Orange Juice” and/or “Not from concentrate”. Which is all well and good, but the contents start to break down and the flavor settles at the bottom between juicing and serving. The box usually tells you to “shake well”, but by that point no amount of mixing can bring back what the original fruit had to offer.

               If you’re not an orange fan, they usually offer pomegranate and peach as well. But no Syracuse student would dare reject their own school’s fruit, right?