Uses, recipes and properties of Reggio Calabria Bergamot

Bergamot is a citrus fruit that is grown exclusively in the province of Reggio Calabria, which extends between Villa San Giovanni and Gioiosa Jonica, between the Ionian Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea.

But what is it used for and what are the properties of bergamot?

Theessence of bergamot is a liquid with a colour which goes from green to greenish yellow, with a fresh, pleasant and delicate smell which reminds us of the peel of the fresh fruit. It is particularly used in perfumery, therefore its organoleptic characteristics are very important and in a particular way the olfactory ones(bergamot perfume). The diffusion of the essence of bergamot has also arrived in the sector of personal cosmetics, in fact it is possible to buy soaps, body creams and bath salts. The essence is also successfully used in tanning products (as it contains photodynamic substances that stimulate melanogenesis) and as an aromatizer in pipe tobacco, candied fruit and tea.

There are many uses of bergamot in folk medicine: it can be used as an antiseptic, wound healing, analgesic, vermifuge, as a balsamic and bactericide in respiratory diseases. Bergamot is widely used as a flavouring in the localconfectionery industry (ice-creams and cakes) and in liqueur-making(bergamot cream - bergamot liqueur). Did you know that from the bergamot it is possible to obtain a very exquisite jam?

The uses of bergamot in the kitchen are becoming increasingly widespread. Today there is also flour made from sun-dried bergamot peel. The essence of bergamot has even been used in cheeses.

The traditional pure bergamot juice is widely used for marinating fish or creating imaginative cocktails. You have surely seen bergamot drinks and infusions!

What are the best recipes that use bergamot?

You can find them on our Blog.