General Information
Bergamot is commonly grouped with the sour oranges even though it is a hybrid of unknown origin. One parent was probably a sour orange, the other possibly a sweet lime or lemon. The rind and foliage are intensely aromatic. The oils from the rind are used to make perfumes and are the basis for eau de cologne. The oils are also used to flavor Earl Grey tea.
Bergamots are usually picked when they reach a full, yellow color. Originally, the oils were extracted by rolling the fruit on a hard surface by hand, then the liquid was collected. Now it is done mechanically. Fruit is small to medium size, juicy, with bitter flavor. Holds well on the tree, which is vigorous, slightly spreading and upright with large, dark green leaves.
History
The first documentation of the Bergamot orange can be traced back as far as 1708. It has been a common orange cultivar in the Mediterranean, specifically Italy, where it was first discovered as a seedling. Italy produces more Bergamot oranges than anywhere else in the world. The fruit is specifically cultivated for its oily rind and commercial production is limited primarily to Calabria (Italy) as this is the only known growing region where fruits do not produce varied qualities of essential oils in their peels.
