JournalKnowledge
Amalfi, cedro, bergamot: lemon varieties and how they taste
Not all lemons are the same. The Amalfi lemon is large, fragrant and fairly mild, the cedro is mostly thick peel, and bergamot tastes tart and floral. ODE Bright Lemon contains seven lemon varieties, including Amalfi lemon, cedro lemon and bergamot.
What lemon varieties are there?
Citrus fruits cross easily, which is why there's a huge number of varieties and in-between forms around the world. The citron, called cedro in Italy, is considered one of the original forms from which many of today's citrus fruits descend. The lemon you buy in the supermarket is usually one of a few standard varieties grown mainly for their juice and acidity.
For bartenders, the peel often matters more than the juice. That's where the essential oils sit that give a lemon its scent. And that's exactly where the varieties differ most clearly.
| Variety | Origin | Peel | Taste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amalfi lemon | Amalfi Coast, Campania | thick, highly fragrant | mild, little sharp acidity |
| Cedro (citron) | Mediterranean, including Calabria | very thick, lots of white pith | little juice, fresh and spicy peel |
| Bergamot | mainly Calabria | intensely fragrant | tart, sour, floral |
| Eureka, Lisbon | grown worldwide | medium | sour and juicy, the supermarket standard |
| Meyer lemon | China, a cross with orange or mandarin | thin | milder, slightly sweet |
Amalfi lemon: scent before acidity
Lemons from the Amalfi Coast are elongated, often bigger than a fist, with a thick, uneven peel. Their juice is less sharp than that of an ordinary lemon, but the peel is all the more intense. It's no coincidence that limoncello is traditionally made from the peel of lemons from this area.
In Bright Lemon, the Amalfi lemon leads on the nose together with bergamot. If you like limoncello, this is a good place to start – though Bright Lemon is much drier.
Cedro: the lemon that's almost all peel
The cedro is big, heavy and knobbly. Cut it open and it's mostly white pith, with hardly any juice. Its peel is used to make candied citron peel, the kind used in Christmas baking. Raw, the cedro has a fresh, slightly spicy character and is less sour than a juicing lemon.
For drinks, the cedro is interesting mainly for its peel: lots of scent, little acidity.
Bergamot: between lemon and bitter orange
Most people know bergamot without ever having seen one: its oil gives Earl Grey its scent and has long been used in perfumery. The fruit itself isn't really made for eating. The juice is tart and sour, the peel intense, almost floral.
This mix of citrus and blossom makes bergamot interesting for an aperitif. It combines the freshness of lemon with a gentle bitterness, like the one you know from orange peel.
Juice or peel: what the lemon does in a drink
At the bar, the lemon has two jobs. The juice brings acidity and balances sweetness, as in any sour. The peel brings scent: when a strip of zest is gently squeezed over the glass, its oils settle as a fine film on the drink. You smell it before you take a sip.
That's why it's worth buying unwaxed lemons if you want to use the peel. The Lemon Sour shows how juice and acidity work together with Bright Lemon.
Why seven lemon varieties in Bright Lemon?
A single lemon mainly tastes sour. Several varieties together create a broader profile: scent, acidity, a gentle bitterness and floral notes sit side by side. In Bright Lemon, they're joined by peach, apricot, thyme, rosemary and artichoke. The idea behind it: a broad flavour profile instead of lots of sugar.
Here's how it tastes in the glass:
- Nose: Amalfi lemon and bergamot up front, with peach behind them.
- In the mouth: you can taste the sweetness, but the citrus acidity pushes back.
- Finish: thyme and rosemary.
Getting this interplay right took time. The essences are made in our own ODE/LAB in Berlin, and Bright Lemon is our 83rd attempt at its flavour profile. The base is Riesling, and no artificial flavourings go in.
How do you taste the differences?
It's easiest neat: 6 cl Bright Lemon over a glass full of ice, nothing else. Smell it first, then take a small sip. The citrus notes come first, the herbs at the end. If you'd like it with more fizz, try the Lemon Spritz with the 1:2 formula: one part ODE, two parts tonic, lots of ice. For a first impression, a 100 ml Mini is enough.
A little experiment for after work: put a supermarket lemon and, if you can find one, an Amalfi lemon side by side and grate a little peel from each. You'll notice the difference in scent straight away.
If you want to experience the world of lemons in a glass, you'll find everything else at ODE Bright Lemon.