Bergamotto di Reggio Calabria – olio essenziale PDO

The king of Calabrian citrus fruits: the Bergamot of Reggio Calabria, from which the essential oil is extracted which has become a PDO product.

Bergamot probably comes from the spontaneous mutation of other citrus fruits such as lemon, bitter orange or lime. The PDO essence is extracted from the fruits of the three varieties Feminella, Castagnaro and Fantastico, belonging to the Citrus bergamia Risso species.

The production area of ​​the Bergamot of Reggio Calabria - PDO essential oil involves the municipalities located in a strip of about 100 km along the Ionian coast of the Province of Reggio Calabria.

The oil is extracted from fruits which have these specific characteristics: thin and smooth skin of an intense yellow colour, firm pulp and pale green-yellow colour and acid and bitter flavour. The harvest is done manually from November to March. The extraction of the oil takes place cold with the cold pressed method, through a special peeling machine.

The essential oil of the Bergamot of Reggio Calabria is used in the cosmetic industry, in the pharmaceutical industry, but also as a prominent ingredient in sweets, ice creams, liqueurs and soft drinks.