Bergamotto di Reggio Calabria is the local citrus fruit used for juice, candied peel and liqueurs, distinct from its separately protected essential oil.
Reggio Calabria’s bergamot has yellow to yellow-green flesh and a sharp, bitter flavor. The fruit may be rounded or pear-shaped.
Fantastico, Femminello and Castagnaro are the three cultivars named in the ministerial fruit specification. Juice, candied preparations and liqueurs give this Calabrian citrus a place at the table beyond the separate essential-oil product. The document traces an intensive orchard planted by Nicola Parisi in Reggio Calabria to 1750.
The ministerial fruit specification calls for hand harvesting with care for the rind. It also excludes artificial ripening.
The fruit grows in the Reggio Calabria area and has green skin that turns yellow, with yellow to green-yellow flesh. The registered DOP name is Bergamotto di Reggio Calabria - Olio essenziale. That designation must not be transferred to every fresh fruit.
CalabriaBergamot is used for juice, candied preparations and liqueurs. Begin with a small amount of candied peel in a plain cake, so its citrus character has room to show. Buy a food preparation intended for that use.
Handle whole fruit gently to protect the rind. For juice, candied peel and other prepared products, follow the package’s storage instructions.
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