A limoncello please
If you are planning a holiday in Italy, do not miss the south coast, next door to the famous Salerno, from where the Normans left to steal “other lemons” of the Byzantines. The rocky landscape with the in the sea and a prodigious tradition of lemon liqueur, goblet as if… with the name “Limoncello”.
Lemons seem to roll towards the volcano Vesuvius where there is no lava, no ash, no earthquake on the ground. Pompeii may no longer have delightful gardens and term, but the Napoleonic lemon remained even after almost two thousand years as fresh.
Limoncello “yellow liquor”
Wherever it first appeared, Limoncello liqueur keeps high conduct and always the same clothing. The liqueur is yellow of the most intense and pure shade, dense and sharp as the blade of Toledo swords.
In the preparation of liquor, lemon loses absolutely nothing. The peel is mostly exploited and all the peel is responsible for the yellow colour of the liqueur. Since lemon does not have a very high fermentation power, it must be helped with pure alcohol, sometimes even vodka.
Recipes are secreted, but a public technique that you can learn from the locals still exists. In the commercial area of Sorrento there are two shops where the world can look at the complete process of maceration of lemon peels, almost like the hidden office of a Parisian perfumer .
Infusion, boiling, infusion, and here’s a volcanic drink, sweet and stinging at the same time, which, but must remain seventy days in hiding, to conspire and sweat, until it can be served. And when served, it must always flow into the special cups of Limoncello, yellow in color too, as if to prolong the suspense, cooled in advance.
If you arrive in the “hot” areas of Italy, the artisans provide an incredibly varied commodity bearing the sign of the “yellow liquor”. Meal services, kitchen aprons, candy and even yellow phone books, with lemons drawn, painted, printed or carved. But what can impress you the most is the collection of bottles of limoncello, from the smallest, 175 ml, to real barrels with many litters.
Capri Or Sardinia
A throw away from the Italian shore, we find the island of Capri, with the little white houses perched on the rocks and the artisans who make your custom sandals, right in front of your eyes, near the port. Forward, to the mountain, we find lemons almost everywhere. Unlike in central Spain, where oranges grow on the street and live their lives there and only there, the lemons of Capri fulfill their destiny in the traditional rotating and wooden teaks, resulting in Limoncello.
Limoncello is put on the whispers before and after the meal, like most Italian lovers of hot buffalo cheese and Red Tuscan wine. The origin of the liquor is unknown, and the traditions divided into various camps: each to tell the history and to desit the lemon peel in their favor. Therefore, some start from Capri, others from Sorento, and others from Sardinia and southern Sicily.
The digestive virtues of the drink elevated Limoncello to the same heights with rivals as Amareto or Bitter. Many customers shout through the restaurant: “a limoncello, prego! And they don’t seem at all surprised to contemplate how the glass of liquor “rises” on the table. But between you and me, who needs a digestive liqueur for a caprese salad or squid in Gorgonzola cheese sauce? But you might as well order a Pizza Margherita at the Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba restaurant if you’re in Naples. Don’t forget to try Limoncello anyway!
