| Latin Name: | Citrus bergamia |
| English Name: | Bergamot z. |
| French Name: | Bergamotier (z.), zestes de bergamote |
| Family: | Rutaceae |
| Origin: | Italy |
History and Origin
Bergamot is the fruit of the bergamot tree, a hybrid of bitter orange and lime (also called green lemon), mainly cultivated in Calabria (an Italian region). The fruit resembles to a small orange with a greenish pulp and a soft and thick bark, yellow when it reaches maturity. Its flesh is too acid and too bitter to be eaten. But the zest is used to produce the natural extract.
It is said that the white flowers from this tree are the symbol of the Virgin Mary, and that its fruits represent her chastity.