Bergamot Citrus bergamia Family: Rutaceae

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Introduction

Citrus bergamia is a small tree with a round or pear-shaped inedible fruit approximately 3 inches in diameter with a thin, lemon-yellow, smooth rind.¹  It is unclear where C. bergamia originated; it may have come from China or Turkey originally, or it may be native to the West Indies or Canary Islands.²  Currently it grows almost exclusively on a narrow strip along the southern coastline of Calabria, Italy.³  The only other locations where bergamot is being successfully grown and harvested are Guinea and Morocco.³  Oil of bergamot is pressed mechanically from the peel of the almost ripe fruit which is gathered in November and December.¹  Bergamot should not be confused with Monarda didyma, bee balm, which is also sometimes called bergamot.

History and Cultural Significance

While it is unclear where the bergamot tree originated, the oil was first pressed in Bergamo, Italy, from whence it got its common name.⁴  Bergamot oil, one of the main components of eau-de-Cologne, was developed in the late 17th century by an Italian immigrant living in Koln (Cologne), Germany.⁵  It is frequently found in high quality perfumes, including men’s colognes and aftershaves,⁵  as well as creams, lotions and soaps.⁶  Bergamot oil is responsible for the distinct flavor of Earl Grey tea,^4,5  and is used to add a sweet, refreshing citrus note to many foods, including baked goods, beverages (both alcoholic and nonalcoholic), candy, frozen dairy desserts, gelatins, puddings, and meat products.⁶  The oil is the original flavor in the European hard candy known as Althaea drops,⁷  and is used to flavor tobacco,⁵  especially continental European pipe tobacco blends.⁷  

In Italian folk medicine, bergamot oil was used for fever and worms.⁸  It has also been used for mouth, throat, genital and urinary infections, chicken pox, flu, herpes, and shingles, as well as for improving digestion.⁴  Bergamot oil is antiseptic and anti-inflammatory and is said to enhance immunity.⁴  

In aromatherapy, bergamot oil is said to be relaxing, refreshing and helpful in relieving insomnia.⁹  It is also believed to be helpful in relieving anxiety, compulsive behavior and depression.⁴  

Modern Research

There are currently no studies on the internal or external use of bergamot.

Future Outlook

The most current information available on the production of bergamot is from the late 1990s. In 1998, approximately 85 metric tons of bergamot oil were produced from an area of approximately 3200 acres of land in cultivation along a 93-mile strip of the Mediterranean coast of Calabria¹⁰  . The area of cultivation was down from 7400 acres in the early 1990s. Speculation about the drop in production is tied to tremendous price increases in the early ‘90s that convinced many manufacturers to switch to synthetic substitutes for bergamot oil. The other main producer in the late ‘90s was Ivory Coast where 40 metric tons were produced in 1997 on approximately 3200 acres. It is believed that a lesser amount of oil is produced from the same area in Ivory Coast because it has less suitable growing conditions than Calabria.¹⁰