"We grow organic bergamots both for the fresh market and for our processed products. From this citrus fruit we obtain a valuable essence through a simple cold extraction process. We produce natural drinks, jams and juices with no preservatives or additives. The products are marketed under the brand name Bergold, which refers to 'gold bergamot', to recall the beneficial properties and multiple uses of this extraordinary citrus fruit, which has received extraordinary attention from the scientific community," explains Luigi Frammartino, agronomist and owner of the company of the same name, who works with the help of his children and sister-in-law, who manages the food laboratory for the production of juices, jams, candied fruits and liqueurs.
The Frammartino Luigi farm is located in Casignana (RC) and has a total area of 14 hectares of citrus groves where bergamots, lemons, clementines and blond pulp oranges are cultivated. The main activity is the cultivation and processing of bergamots, from whose peel the essence is extracted. In addition to the extraction plant, the company also has a food laboratory where bergamot pulp and juice are processed into drinks, jams, candied fruit and juices.
"Our strength lies in the fact that we are involved in the entire bergamot chain and control all stages of processing: from harvesting the fresh fruit to packaging. We offer high quality drinks, juices, jams and candied fruits. The company is located in the most renowned area in the world for the production of top quality bergamots. It is here, in the Lower Ionian region of Calabria, that the company has been involved in the protection of bergamot cultivation since 2003, when it founded the Unionberg OP association with 24 other members, which today brings together more than 400 growers in the province of Reggio Calabria and presides over the Consortium for the Protection of Bergamots."
The start of the 2024 sales campaign at the beginning of October is likely to be a good year for the production of a reasonable quantity of citrus fruit of good quality and size. Despite the fact that the heat has been constant from June to the first week of September, it has not reached excessive levels, in contrast to the previous campaign. The quality of the fruit is good because the orchards are equipped with reservoirs and have benefited from the water resources available.
The bergamot is the most characteristic citrus fruit of the province of Reggio Calabria, due to the fact that the area in which it grows is very limited, extending for about 100 km along the Ionian coast from Reggio to Gioissa. Ninety per cent of the world's production comes from the Reggio coast, where the bergamot finds a combination of natural factors favourable to its growth: a humid temperate tropical climate, abundant water and mineral-rich soil. The bergamot is famous for the essence extracted from its peel. Known as 'green gold', the essential oil is a fragrant, yellow-green liquid. Its use dates back to the 1700s and it is still highly prized by perfumers as the basic ingredient for making perfumes. With its 350 different aromas, bergamot essence is used to fix the aromatic bouquet of other essences, harmonising and enhancing their fresh and fragrant notes. In 2001, bergamot essence was awarded the D.O.P. (Protected Designation of Origin) 'Bergamot of Reggio Calabria - Essential Oil'.
Today, bergamot has been completely rediscovered thanks to its use in gourmet cuisine. This citrus fruit is used for its tart flavour and fragrant notes, as a complementary ingredient to enhance salads, risottos, fish and meat dishes, sorbets and desserts.
"In recent years, bergamot has been re-evaluated for its health benefits. Two substances that inhibit cholesterol production in the blood and act as natural statins on triglyceride and blood sugar levels have been found in the juice and pulp of the fruit. Bergamot juice is also rich in vitamins, has a rebuilding effect on bones and muscles and contains flavonoids that limit the production of free radicals. Because of its antiseptic, anti-bacterial, anti-microbial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties, and because it modulates the natural release of melatonin, bergamot essence is increasingly being used in the pharmaceutical industry.
For more information:
Azienda Agricola Frammartino Luigi
C.da Sandrechi, 43
89034 Bovalino (RC) - Italy
Tel.: +39 336 547243
Tel.: +39 347 2683477
[email protected]
www.bergold.it