When did I fall in love with bergamots?
I must have been in my early 20s when I transitioned from drinking Darjeeling to Earl Grey tea.The distinct flavor of Earl Grey comes from blending tea leaves with the highly aromatic oil of bergamot rind. Ever since I discovered this fragrant brew with its citrusy floral scent, it has become an essential part of my daily routine.
Bergamot history
Its seeds traveled from Southeast Asia, which is the birthplace of all citrus, through the Silk Road into Persia, where it took root in the Mediterranean basin and in some parts of West Africa.
The first bergamot was planted in Italy in 1750. Today, 90% of the world’s supply of bergamot trees grow in a restricted patch of land in Calabria, at the southernmost tip of Italy, between the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas.
Bergamot derives from the Italian word bergamotto. Others trace the etymology of the word back to the Turkish bey armut or bey armudu, meaning ‘prince of pears.’
In Greek mythology, Aphrodite created the bergamot flower as a symbol of her beauty and grace. In literature and art, it is frequently used as a metaphor for beauty, grace, and perfection.
An iconic fruit
The trees, with their glossy dark green leaves and a multitude of fragrant white flowers, thrive on saline soil. They grow under extreme climate conditions in a Mediterranean ecosystem: 300 days of sun, strong droughts, high temperatures, and chronic unavailability of water.
Bergamot resembles a lime, has a lumpy pear shape, and tastes like a mix of lemon and sour orange. It’s one of the few citrus fruits grown solely for its essential oil.
Prosperity and sustainability
The fruit’s growing popularity is reviving one of Italy’s poorest regions with economic profitability.
The perfume industry claims the lion’s share of bergamot oil. Its fruit has been a key component in scents since 1705 and is the primary ingredient in some of the most expensive perfumes in the world.
Around 1,300 Calabrian smallholder farmers and family gardeners tend the celebrated fruit using the principles of organic farming. They hand pick the citrus and sell it to small processing companies, cooperatives and producers who transform the peel into essential oil.
These small-scale farms are vitally important, particularly for local communities. Bergamot cultivation contributes to biodiversity, rural vitality and conservation of landscape.
Knowing that my purchases of Earl Grey and Lady Grey are conserving and sustaining the fragrant coast of Calabria brings me joy after years of tea drinking.