Chivers Preserve Marmalade Olde English, 12 oz

It's what I grew up with in England and has all the attributes - bitter oranges sweetened to bring out the best flavor, thick cut and chewy rind, and that orange intensity that only English marmalade has. This isn't that overly sweetened orang jelly that passes for marmalade in the US, this is the real thing. Also, it isn't supposed to be easy to spread, so I wouldn't use that as a rating.

I was tickled to find the recipe had not changed from my childhood. One jar arrived broken but that was Amazon's fault as they shipped it and they are refunding for the damaged item. The marmalade itself is wonderful and there is nothing else I have ever tried that compares to it.

What I look for in a marmalade: 1/ Orange peel chunks. It has them. 2/ Some bitterness. I want it to have some bite, that's the whole point of orange marmalade. Else it should be called orange jam. 3/ Less sugar. Not a matter of calories for me, too much sweetness simply hides the taste. This marmalade has the best bitterness/sweetness balance I was able to find: finally a marmalade with some bite. I actually wish it would a bit less sweet, but I've so far not found any marmalade that is less sweet without compromising on the bite.

Anything I can find in American stores is all the same...bland, and too sweet. Even small-batch boutique brands are much the same, just sweet jelly and not much orange flavor. This stuff has great flavor and that wonderful edge of bitterness. If you don't have the bitterness, it's not marmalade. That's the whole point of putting the rind in the recipe. Chivers has a strong orange flavor with just enough sweetness to balance the bitter rind. The rind is cut thick, so you get a nice bit of chewiness every couple of bites. If I had the patience to make it myself, I'd add even more rind...I like a lot of texture.

Hard to find in your supermarket but it is the best marmalade bar none. A bit more expensive than other imported brands but well worth it.