Is Oros South African? Who invented Oros juice?

Few can say they’ve tasted the gloriously orangey tang of Oros and thought, I wish I had chosen something else to drink! This refreshing juice has been around a lot longer than most well-known brands, more than a century to be precise, and is as synonymous with South African culture as biltong, potjie, and a lekker braai. In fact, besides beer, what else would you use to quench your thirst besides Oros? After all, tending the braai is thirsty work! 

Oros juice history

 After delving around the FinGlobal Oros archives, we found some interesting information on this seemingly simple juice. Firstly, the history of Oros juice goes back more than a century. Originally lemon flavoured, the orange juice we know and love was founded in 1899. As to who invented Oros juice, that honour belongs to one Mr.Charles Brookes.

Over the years, Oros evolved into the orange-flavored drink sold today. Its popular thirst-quenching flavour has attended many rugby games, tennis tournaments, cricket matches, family braais, and picnics. You could say Oros is a staple in every self-respecting Saffa home!

Oros juice ingredients

According to a recent article in The Citizen, “About 1 million litres of Oros concentrate are produced every day” That’s a lot of Oros, and all of it is produced right here in South Africa in the Tiger Brands plant in Germiston! Of course, this left the naturally curious FinGlobal team asking what Oros juice ingredients have us and many other Saffa’s ‘hooked’ on what is considered South Africa’s most popular thirst quencher?

To answer this question, we did a little more investigating; here’s what we discovered.

Oros ingredients, as per the official Oros website, include the following:

• Water
• Sugar
• Reconstituted Orange Juice (fruit concentrate)
• Malic Acid (crystalline acid from unripe fruit)
• Stabilizers
• Non-nutritive sweeteners
• Sucralose
• Sodium saccharin
• Some preservatives
• Flavourings & Colourants

Oros recipes

When it comes to Oros South Africa has a wide selection of recipes to tang-talize your taste buds! So let’s jump into some easy Oros recipes; it’s time to have some oh-oh-oh-oh Oros fun!

Recipe #1 – Fingerlicious Oros chicken

This Oros recipe is so easy you’ll definitely have enough time to gulp a glass or two of Oros before dinner!

What you need

• 118 ml Oros concentrated juice (orange)
• 118 ml Cross & Blackwell mayonnaise (or preferred brand)
• 118 ml Mrs. Balls Peach Chutney (what else?)
• 8-10 chicken thighs

What to do

• Preheat your oven to a toasty 150 C
• Combine the Oros, mayonnaise, and chutney.
• Place the chicken thighs into an oven-proof dish and baste thoroughly with the Oros marinade.
• Place the Oros chicken into the oven and bake for 1.5 hours.

Serve with loads of new potatoes and salad; midweek dinner is served courtesy of the Oros man!

Recipe #2 – Oros creamsicle cocktail

This cocktail is the ultimate Oros drink for grownups! No under-18s allowed!

What you need

 *serves one

• Cocktail shaker
• 14 ml orange flavoured liqueur (triple sec)
• 44 ml vanilla vodka
• 30 ml cream
• 30 ml Oros concentrated juice (orange)
• 6 cubes of ice
• Orange slices for garnishing

What to do 

• Add all the ingredients to the cocktail shaker, minus the garnishing, and shake well.
• Pour the delicious, creamy orange juice over ice, garnish with slices of orange and enjoy!

Recipe #3 – Oros and banana milkshake

Of course, we could never exclude the kids from enjoying a tasty Oros drink. Try this Oros and banana milkshake at their next sleepover; it’s bound to earn your brownie points!

What you need

• 2 ripe bananas mashed
• 250 ml warm milk
• 1 tbsp warm milk
• 1 tsp Oros concentrated juice
• 3-4 ice cubes for serving

What to do

• Using a fork, mash the ripe bananas until they are soft and gloopy.
• Add the mashed banana to the warm milk, stir well and allow the milk to cool.
• Next, mix 1 tsp of Oros with 1 tbsp of warm milk to form a lovely strong orangey Oros mixture.
• Pour the banana milk into a tall glass, add the ice cubes and pour the Oros mixture over the top.

With so many recipes incorporating the Oros drink South Africa is certainly spoilt for choice! So whether you enjoy posh Oros recipes or simply appreciate Oros for the thirst-quenching beverage it was created to be, we know its flavour won’t disappoint!

Where to purchase Oros juice

If, like us, you love the Oros drink South Africa has many outlets from which you can purchase this veritable nectar of the South African gods! However, if you are based abroad, you may need to try your local South African Shop (there’s one to be found everywhere!). Alternatively, you can easily purchase the Oros drink South Africa produces via Amazon and other online suppliers.

The final gulp

It has to be said, posh recipes aside, there’s nothing better than gulping down an ice-cold glass of Oros juice on a hot South African day, and very few Saffas would disagree! The fact is, Oros has certainly stood the proverbial test of time and, in our view, will continue to do so for future generations!

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