Bergamot

What it is

Bergamot is roughly orange-sized, with green or yellow skin. Some fruits are round, others flattened or pear-shaped. The rind clings to the flesh and can be smooth or moderately rough. Inside are numerous segments, a solid core and few seeds, sometimes none. The pale greenish-yellow flesh is fairly firm, sharply acidic and faintly bitter.

The garden herbs called bergamot belong to the mint family. They share a scent with this citrus, but they are different plants.

Where it comes from

Bergamot has been known around the Mediterranean for centuries, and its aromatic oil was prized by 1750. Today, about 90% of world production is concentrated around Reggio Calabria and Locride in southern Italy. Calabria’s oil-making tradition dates to the late eighteenth century, linking its citrus groves with the perfume trade.

How it's eaten where it grows

In Calabria, bergamino is a citrus liqueur made in the same way as limoncello. Bergamot also becomes breakfast jam, and candied pieces go into colomba, the sweet Easter bread, and Christmas panettone.

In Nancy, France, bergamot oil scents flat, square sweets. The fresh fruit also makes a curd: juice and zest cook with eggs, sugar and butter into a spread for toast or scones, or a filling for tarts and cakes.

How it's grown

The evergreen tree usually flowers in spring. Growers graft it onto related citrus, including bitter orange, to reproduce it. At harvest, workers clip each fruit from its branch with scissors, protecting the peel. Fruit destined for oil production is cold-pressed within hours of picking to capture its scent.

When and where you'll find it

Calabria’s fresh-fruit season usually runs from November to March, with some harvests beginning in October. Away from the groves, the flavour travels in Earl Grey tea, bergamot jam, the candied peel in Italian Easter and Christmas breads, and Nancy’s scented sweets.