Liquore di limone di Sorrento (Sorrento lemon liqueur)

History and origin

On the Sorrento peninsula the lemon has a very long history. Frescoes and mosaics in Pompeii and Herculaneum show fruit similar to today's oval Sorrento lemons, and sixteenth-century documents record their presence in the area; specialised cultivation is certain from the seventeenth century, thanks to the records of the Jesuit fathers. One of the first groves, called «Il Gesù», still lies in the Guarazzano hollow, between Sorrento and Massa Lubrense, the two towns that gave the variety its names, Ovale di Sorrento and Massese.

The Sorrento lemon is mentioned by Torquato Tasso, who was born in Sorrento, and by other Renaissance authors, and in the nineteenth century it was shipped all over the world on vessels bound for America.

The liqueur made from its peel was produced for centuries within families, for home use, and only recently has it become a successful product on the market. Today it is a Geographical Indication for spirit drinks.

Sources: Regione Campania, Assessorato Agricoltura — Limone di Sorrento IGP · Qualigeo — Liquore di limone di Sorrento IG

Area and method of production

The production area covers Vico Equense, Meta, Piano di Sorrento, Sant'Agnello, Sorrento, Massa Lubrense and, on the island of Capri, Capri and Anacapri. All stages must take place here, while packaging may happen anywhere in Italy.

Only Limone di Sorrento PGI lemons of the Ovale di Sorrento type are used. The lemons grow on terraces, often under pergolas covered with pagliarelle, straw mats that shelter them from cold and wind and delay ripening. Only the yellow part is removed from the peel, by hand or by machine; the peel, fresh or chilled, macerates cold in alcohol of agricultural origin, in steel containers, for at least 48 hours.

The filtered infusion is blended with water and sugar. Every litre of liqueur needs the peel of at least 250 grams of whole lemons, a quantity stated on the label, and additives, colourings and flavourings are forbidden; only ascorbic acid is allowed as an antioxidant. It is bottled only in glass.

Sources: Qualigeo — Liquore di limone di Sorrento IG · eAmbrosia — Liquore di limone di Sorrento (PGI-IT-01852) · Regione Campania, Assessorato Agricoltura — Limone di Sorrento IGP

How to recognise it

The liqueur has at least 30% alcohol by volume and between 200 and 350 grams of sugar per litre. During production it is opalescent and clears naturally over time. Its colour and aroma come only from the lemon, because the specification allows no added flavourings.

The fruit it comes from weighs at least 85 grams, is elliptical and has a citrine-yellow peel of medium thickness, very fragrant thanks to its wealth of essential oils; the flesh is juicy and acidic. These qualities, the Region notes, make the Sorrento lemon suited both to eating fresh and to limoncello.

The label shows the name Liquore di Limone di Sorrento and the quantity of lemons used per litre: the simplest way to tell it apart from a generic lemon liqueur.

Sources: Qualigeo — Liquore di limone di Sorrento IG · Regione Campania, Assessorato Agricoltura — Limone di Sorrento IGP

In the kitchen

On the peninsula the lemon is used in countless ways: on its own, in fresh juices, to flavour cakes, jams and drinks. It is a fixed ingredient in seafood pasta dishes and alongside fish, and in the area's restaurants, Capri included, it appears from starter to dessert, and even in coffee.

The lemon liqueur is traditionally drunk at the end of a meal, but it has also given rise to sweets much loved by visitors to the peninsula: limoncello babà, lemon delizie and lemon sorbet, which the Campania Region lists among the most successful preparations.

Sources: Regione Campania, Assessorato Agricoltura — Limone di Sorrento IGP

Where to taste it

The liqueur is best tasted where it is made: in the towns of the Sorrento peninsula, from Vico Equense to Massa Lubrense, and on the island of Capri. The terraces and the covered lemon groves, here called lemon gardens, shape the coastal landscape and protect it from landslides, and they are an important part of what makes the area so loved by travellers.

The lemon is on the market almost all year, but the most distinctive crop is the summer one, obtained thanks to the pagliarelle. Visitors coming from the Amalfi Coast find a twin landscape here: the two lemons share the terraces, the late ripening and a long history of trade by sea.

Sources: Regione Campania, Assessorato Agricoltura — Limone di Sorrento IGP · Qualigeo — Liquore di limone di Sorrento IG

Protection

• Geographical indication (spirit drink) — PGI-IT-01852 (eAmbrosia — Liquore di limone di Sorrento (PGI-IT-01852))

When

• The sources consulted give no months.

Where

Campania

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