Why are Sumo Oranges trending on TikTok? Internet's latest obsession explored 

TikTok cannot stop raving about the peculiar-looking Sumo oranges that have been all over everyone's feed since they went viral courtesy of an impassioned Trader Joe's customer.

In stock from January to April, the seasonal fruit can be easily distinguished from other orange varieties due to its signature "top knot" that sits atop each orange.

The fruit has enjoyed popularity among niche crowds that already knew of its existence, but its renown suddenly skyrocketed over the past few weeks with the viral TikTok.

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TikTok can't get enough of the viral Sumo Oranges

TikToker @elizabethanneventer shows a gray-haired woman at the checkout line of a New York Trader Joe's eagerly talking to other customers in line.

Armed with a Sumo orange in hand, the woman seems to be making a passionate plea for other customers to add the fruit to their carts.

The overlay text in the clip reads:

“Obsessed with this woman [in] line at Trader Joe’s convincing everyone else to buy Sumo oranges too.”

The TikTok then cuts to shots of said customers' baskets, now stocked with Sumo oranges — a testament to the woman's commendable persuasion skills. The video has garnered over 7.1 million views and spawned a chain of TikToks trying out the oranges.

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What are Sumo Oranges and are they worth the hype?

Sumo oranges are bred by crossing two different varieties of oranges — the mandarin and the California navel orange. They originated in Japan in the 1970s after being developed for 30 years but are now available across the US.

Senior Food Producer June Xie described the exotic fruit, saying:

"The flesh is super juicy, tart-sweet, like a tangelo but bigger in size and punchier in its citrus twang. The skin is bumpier and thicker than a mandarin’s, but loosened from the fruit segments, so it is easy to peel. They tend to be more expensive.”

They are more expensive than the regular navel oranges, retailing for anything between $3.00 per pound or $4.00 per single orange.

Sumo Citrus, the predominant US-seller of these oranges, explained why they are so expensive:

“It takes four years of constant love and care before a sumo citrus tree produces any fruit. Despite its rugged appearance, this delicate fruit requires far more expertise and gentle handling than any other piece of citrus.”

The steep price tag isn't much of a deterrent for those who want to hop on the viral trend.

Sumo oranges can be eaten by themselves, but like any other citrus fruit, they're versatile ingredients in a number of recipes. You can toss them into a juicy honey-splashed fruit salad, dip the orange segments into a rich, creamy cheese dip of burrata or goat cheese, or drizzle them with chocolate.

If you want to bake with them, substitute any recipes calling for orange or lime juice and zest with sumo orange juice and zest. They also make for great breakfast renditions in fruit yogurt bowls, sumo orange juice, or even smoothies.