The Bergamot orange (Citrus bergamia) is a small, pear-shaped citrus fruit that's grown on trees called bergamots. This fruit is a hybrid between pear lemon and either Seville orange or grapefruit. Its production is predominantly concentrated in the Ionian coastal region of Reggio Calabria in southern Italy, where the soil and climate are particularly conducive to its growth. Bergamot is also cultivated in Ivory Coast, Argentina, and Brazil, but nowhere else does it produce the same high yield and quality of essence. Named after the Italian city of Bergamo, where its oil was first marketed, bergamot has come to symbolize both the region and the city. The fruit itself is inedible and is primarily grown for its essential oil.
The essential oil is extracted from the ripe fruit peel and is widely used in the perfume industry due to its sweet, fresh aroma. In addition to perfumery, bergamot oil is used for flavoring purposes, such as in Earl Grey tea and althea drops, and is also utilized in candy-making. In aromatherapy, it serves as a remedy for depression and as a digestive aid. Its scent is fruity-sweet with a subtle spicy note and is essential in both male and female perfumes, predominantly used in top notes.
Bergamot oil played a key role in the original Eau de Cologne created in Germany in the 17th century and continues to be an ingredient in almost all modern perfumes. The oil itself is a green or olive green, mobile liquid with an extremely rich, sweet-fruity initial scent. This characteristic top note is followed by a more distinctive oily-herbaceous and somewhat balsamic body and dry-down. As the sweetness diminishes, it reveals a richer, tobacco-like aroma that is somewhat reminiscent of clary sage and neryl acetate. The freshness in the top note is mainly attributed to the presence of terpenes and small amounts of citral and aliphatic aldehydes. The absence of an “oily” note is a key indicator of poor-quality oil. The color of bergamot oil fades on ageing, particularly when the oil is exposed to daylight.
Bergamot Oil production fluctuates between 150 and 250 tons annually. This oil is a green or olive-green, mobile liquid with an extremely rich, sweet-fruity initial aroma. These top notes are perceptible in high-quality oils, followed by a more characteristic oily-herbaceous and somewhat balsamic body and dry-down phase. The sweetness transitions to a rich, tobacco-like note, somewhat reminiscent of sage clary and neryl acetate. The freshness in the top note is mainly attributed to terpenes and small amounts of citral and aliphatic aldehydes. One distinguishing feature of poor or adulterated bergamot oils is the absence of this "oily" note.
Bergamot Oil's color fades with age, especially when exposed to daylight, turning yellow or pale olive-brown. The color also depends on the fruit's maturity at the time of extraction. Like all citrus oils, Bergamot Oil is produced near the plantations where the fruits are grown.
The oil is extensively used in perfumery for its sweet freshness, particularly in citrus colognes, chypres, fougères, and modern fantasy bases. The sweetness and rich body note come from the presence of large amounts of linalyl acetate combined with linalool and traces of methyl anthranilate. Interestingly, the presence of methyl anthranilate, along with aliphatic aldehydes and citral, is a common feature among several citrus oils.
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