Secret Ingredient: Bergamot
Most people around here probably drink their coffee black, maybe with cream or sugar. The fanciest of us Southern folks may do a splash of French vanilla syrup in our coffee. But the Italians have won the race when it comes to java pleasures. Chef Nunzio Patruno of Nunzio’s Restaurant + Bar let us in on a little secret: the bergamot.
“Bergamotto is an Italian type of orange, not a commercialized orange,” Patruno said. “It is grown and used specifically for the flower it produces and the fruit’s skin, which is used to make essence for perfume and culinary purposes. Our chefs use it to enchant pastry, whipped creams and mousses.”
Like most citrus, bergamotto are in season from October to March. More than 80 percent of the world’s supply comes from Calabria, the southern region of Italy’s “shoe,” but it’s also grown in the Ivory Coast, Turkey, Brazil and China. It is most prized for the super fragrant essential oil extracted from its skin. The aroma is citrusy, musky and floral with an intensity that’s hard to believe. That oil is used to scent perfumes and soaps and is commonly combined with black tea and coffee. Like sour oranges, bergamots are incredibly, well, sour. The fruit isn’t eaten alone but is incorporated in cooking and baking, which can be tamed with heat and sugar. Because of its super-high acidity and bitterness, bergamot lends itself to multiple uses in the kitchen. It is a good substitute for various citrus, from oranges to lemons and limes.
If you happen to find a fresh bergamot, use the zest as you would any other citrus zest for flavor and fragrance. Rub the zest into sugar, grate it into some cake batter or peel off wide strips and infuse them in vodka. But Chef Patruno says they are difficult to find. You’re better off looking for the essence.
“Bergamotto is rare in this area and is found mainly in specialty baking retailers,” said the chef. He gets his essence from a commercial vendor, but some locals have been successful at apexflavors.com. “Be sure to look for the highest percentage essence possible,” he warns. “Some essences are mixed with other ingredients to give a similar aroma.”
Pro Tip
“Bergamotto is very difficult to find and provides an aroma you do not know. You do not know if it is a lemon or an orange aroma. Persons who enjoy lemons and their scent would enjoy bergamotto with espresso coffee. You can release one drop of bergamot essence, and it will release that soft citrus flavor as you drink your espresso. It’s a very elegant pleasure.”
– Chef Nunzio Patruno