Tag: bergamot

Juice of Bergamot: Superfood drink

06.04.2020

PROPERTIES AND FUNCTIONS

Thanks to about 350 polyphenols, Bergamot of Calabria has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and vasoprotective properties. In addition, the juice can reduce blood glucose and activate some organic antioxidants, while the flavonoids present in bergamot juice are very good relaxants as well, they soothe the nerves and reduce nervous stress, insomnia, and depression.

The essential bergamot oil inside the juice stimulates appetite, liver and pancreatic functions. The juice is useful in cholecystitis, in tachycardia and arterial hypertension; it is locally useful in stomatitis, gingivitis and pharyngitis; it is an intestinal, disinfectant and astringent pesticide. Finally, it is balsamic in the respiratory tract.

For the vitamin C, Bl and B2, P and vitamin A and E content in juice and flavedo, bergamot can be considered a fruit with good vitamin content, and its juice a “superfood drink”; therefore, it is useful in bone disorders due to altered calcium absorption, teething disorders, collagen pathologies, muscular weakness or even neuromuscular hyper-excitability, cardiac heretism, iron deficiency anaemia, hepatic congestion and various diseases with impaired vessel permeability.

On a nutritional level, bergamot juice, with the weak acids contained in it (acetic, malic, citric, tartaric acids…), gives rise to the production of carbonates and carbonate alkaline (potassium and calcium above all), which, in addition to promoting intestinal calcium absorption, contributes to maintaining the alkaline reserve.

JUICE MIXING

Bergamot is available from October to March, so its juice can be drunk natural, diluted with a little water, or sweetened with an Earl Grey Tea. Further, it can be mixed with orange juice. Bergamot juice is a perfect Mediterranean drink, when added to prosecco or to sparkling water.

This mixing of the juice can be used to reduce headaches and muscle tension or as digestive drink. Further, if the juice is added to flavour yoghurt, a perfect mix can be obtained or, freezing it, a refreshing sorbet.

The Green Design, the Bergamot Charm

19.02.2020

The color of green and the fractal geometry of Bergamot surface are part of the unique fashion of this excellence of Calabria.

This intense green partially explains how Bergamot oil is commercially important, and constitutes the base of cologne water (eau de cologne), a globally known product and, perhaps, the most widely used toilet water in the world.

The graduation and tonality of the color is also evident in the leaves. A non-minor use of Bergamot is the petit grain oil, another product of a certain importance, distilled from the leaves and young growth.

In any case, the light design of surface permits the production of a highly acid juice derived from the oil extraction process, a citrate of lime or citric acid employed as antiseptic.

FASHION AND HISTORY

Of course, bergamot oil essence has many other perfumery uses, but the main employment of Bergamot, according to Chapot (1962) is the cologne water first developed in Cologne in 1676 by an Italian emigrant, Paolo Feminis. This obscure emigrant began the refinement of Bergamot oil and the product was also commercialized by his son-in-law, Gian Maria Farina. Thus, the first manufacture dates back to 1709.

Another fascinating use, outside the region of Calabria, of bergamot is the recipe for adding its citrus fruit essence to the famous Earl Grey tea, a tea with a distinctive flavor. The recipe employs the natural essential oil that is extracted from green bergamot skins.

INTERNAL DESIGN OF BERGAMOT: ITS INTENSE YELLOW

Under its skin bergamot holds a yellow pulp and an intense juice that smells lemon sharp with soft notes of orange.

That juice is a liquid highly recommended for aromatherapy treatments and having strong antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties.

Unfortunately, apart from its healing properties, both the juice and the oil does have one side-effect: putting them on skin and then exposing it to sunlight, causes discoloration and burning.