NEITHER LEMON NOR ORANGE

Lat.: Citrus bergamia

Bergamot is a bitter, inedible citrus fruit – often called a bergamot orange – although it is yellow coloured like a lemon. The bark of the bergamot orange varies in colour from green to bright orange. It is smooth or moderately rough; it has yellow pulp with a unique acidic taste with vaguely bitter nuances.

It is from a spiny tree called the citrus bergamia, that native to the tropical climes of South East Asia and is now grown commercially in the province of Calabria in Southern Italy. (80% of the world’s bergamot comes from Calabria!) You can also find it in the south of France and Africa’s Ivory Coast.

Bergamot is an evergreen plant whose height is from 2 to 10 meters. It has branches covered with thin sharp spines, whose length reaches 10 centimeters.

The tree blossoms in winter, and it is cultivated for the skin of the fruit, which is cold pressed for its oils, flavours and scents.

Bergamot contains carbohydrates, water, vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber and a small amount of fat and protein.

Methods of use:

• Extract
• Oils
• Tea
• Herbs

Interesting historical facts:

The name Bergamot derives from the Turkish words “beg-armudi” which means “The Prince’s Pear” – a fittingly majestic title for what is considered the finest and most exotic of citrus notes, used in all sorts of ways from flavouring tea to scenting essential oils. Indeed, it first came into vogue at the court of King Louis XIV of France in the 16th Century where aristocrats would commonly wear bergamot (“prince’s pear”) scented perfumes.

Today, bergamot flavouring is used widely in food, drinks and for scenting perfumes, cosmetics like skin creams, shower gels and essential oils for which it is used extensively in aromatherapy. Wealthy members of society would often wear a pomander around their necks, heavily scented with notes of bergamot – in order to hide the stench of body odour.