Indians and the orange rinder

After the collapse of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, plantations lacked a large, cheap labour force. At the same time, British India’s socioeconomic conditions rapidly deteriorated, causing widespread poverty. The solution to this dilemma took the form of indentured labourers from across India who were sent to British colonies. On May 10, 1845, the first indentured servants arrived in Jamaica from India.

During the period of Indian indentureship, several hundred thousand Indians were brought by the British to the Caribbean. Approximately seven per cent were received by Jamaica. Coming to Jamaica did not mean that these indentured servants abandoned their native culture for British-Jamaican culture. Through generations of interbreeding and cultural exchange, many aspects of their culture were successfully integrated into colonial Jamaican society and became core features of Jamaican culture. Cuisines like roti and curry goat have become staple national dishes. Fruits like mangoes, jackfruits, and tamarinds are now favourites among Jamaicans. Many hand-made jewellery and appliance manufacturing tools and techniques used on the island are also rooted in Indian culture.

The orange rinder is a lesser-known Indian tool that didn’t integrate well into the Jamaican culture. While most cultures, including Jamaica, usually discard citrus rinds (or zest) as trash, generations of Indians have found creative ways to harvest and repurpose them. Indian immigrants used these tools to extract concentrated citrus oils, typically from orange rinds, hence the name ‘orange rinder’. Traditional orange rinders were simple two-part contraptions comprising a funnel-shaped rinder attached to a wooden bench. The rinder was typically a shallow metal funnel with nails tightly driven through the bowl portion. The neck of the rinder would be held firmly by a loop on the wooden bench. The user would rub citrus peels against the nails and collect the oil in a bottle placed below. Several dozen citrus fruits would be needed to extract one small bottle of the fragrant oils. Making a gallon requires approximately a thousand fruits.

The harvested oil was popular and used in a wide variety of Indian and Indo-Jamaican industries. Citrus zest is used as a flavourful ingredient in many dishes, such as curries and chutneys, or as an aromatic component in air fresheners and perfumes, as well as in skincare products and medicines. The remaining bitter white pith of the citrus fruit would then be used as compost, fertilising future citrus fruit stock.

While traditional Indian orange rinders are not common in Jamaican culture, they still exemplify the legacy of the Indian diaspora in the country. Today, people of Indian descent make up the majority of Jamaica’s minority population, at approximately 3.4 per cent. Despite integrating into Jamaican society and struggling with cultural retention, Indian communities have managed to retain many of their values and traditions.

To learn more about the contributions of Jamaica’s Indian heritage and ancestors, visit or contact the National Museum Jamaica.

Submitted by Romaine A Thomas, assistant curator at the National Museum Jamaica, Institute of Jamaica.