Amalfi lemon: the sfusato

Citizens of the Amalfi Coast, especially those that populate the most inland areas that admire from above, like on a suspended terrace, the splendid blue sea of the coast, dedicate themselves with the same magnanimity and meticulousness of the sailors to agriculture. Pride of the sector is certainly the cultivation of lemons, the Sfusato Amalfitano, classic lemon of the Coast.

Lo Sfusato in the history

In ancient times, Amalfi lemon was called "citro". Only starting by the 13th century it began to be named with a word of Arabic origin, that is “limunzello”.

Arabs, in the course of their expansion and conquests, introduced the lemon fruit into Spain and Sicily and from there into Campania. By second half of nineteenth century, the Salerno Medical School, on Arab influence, began to practice scientific experiments in the medical field, the discovery of the great usefulness of lemon in the fight against scurvy, the disease due to vitamin C deficiency, of which citrus fruits are notoriously rich decrees the true spread of the lemon in the Amalfi area.

For the people of Amalfi, famous people of navigators, it becomes crucial to have available, on their ships, abundant stocks of lemons. The Amalfi Maritime Republic decreed that on board ships there would always be provisions for such fruits. From this moment, lemon fruits in this area of Italy began to be cultivated and sold massively also in other countries, above all in northern Europe, even landing in America.

It is so that along the coast, the lemon gardens, "limoneto" so named for their care and beauty, useful for safeguarding the territory from hydrogeological instability, have grown in number and size over the centuries, through an immense work of the man who has recovered steep and inaccessible soils to agriculture.

The cultivation of lemons involved the entire population of the Amalfi Coast: people were involved in cultivation, production and marketing, without counting demanding jobs for the construction of the terraces.

Citrus groves are in fact structured in pergolas using chestnut poles and they insist on steep territories along the slopes of the Lattari Mountains. These crops are arranged in terraces bordered by stone walls that allow a perfect adherence to the territory aimed at its preservation.

Cultivated in classic terraces they are meticulously cared for and covered in the winter period: years ago with dried branches or "pagliarelle" to avoid gelling them in the cold winter months, while today with the classic black sheets that preserve the product even better. Mild climatic conditions of the Amalfi Coast have favored its cultivation but not only that; size of the crops is also the result of man's diligent work: thanks to the centuries – long work carried out by the agrarian class, today the Amalfi Coast is presented throughout its beauty and richness, so much so as to have led, in 1997, to the recognition of the Coast as a World Heritage Site protected by UNESCO.

Furthermore, protection of the Amalfi product, both in Italy and in the EU territory, is guaranteed by the Lemon Protection Consortium I.G.P. Amalfi Coast, established in 2002.

Cultivation

From the tree, lemons are collected together with a small part of the branch with leaves and from there it is introduced into the supply chain for distribution on markets all over the world or sent to artisan laboratories present throughout the Amalfi area for the transformation into the typical liqueur “Limoncello ".

One of the oldest and most tiring jobs on the coast was undoubtedly that of the lemon transporter. An activity that consisted in loading large “basket” baskets built with chestnut wood covered with cloth inside, which could contain from 50 to 70 kg. of lemons of the Amalfi Coast.

From the terraces of the Lattari Mountains descended these skilled carriers who had at the foot of the "cioce" formed of padded cloth tied with string to the ankles and a headdress in well-padded cloth on which they rested jute sacks to protect head and back and often proceeded with the 'help of chestnut sticks down to the valley where the lemons were loaded on the carts that carried the precious merchandise in the regional markets or was embarked to reach more distant markets.

Even today in the harvest periods between spring and summer, it is possible to watch the lemon-growing phases. It is easy to meet men carrying the heavy lemon bags on their backs or mules.

Characteristics 

Today, Amalfi lemon is known as Sfusato Amalfitano and is linked to the splendid land in which it is grown. The Sfusato Amalfitano is characterized by an elongated, tapered elliptical shape, with a smooth, citrine yellow skin. Amalfi lemon peel is the part where the aroma of the fruit can be felt most: aroma is intense and very strong, juice is abundant and acid. The I.G.P. Amalfi Coast lemon has the highest content of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) and is therefore an excellent ally for the contrast of anemia, as it favors the absorption of iron. Its peel is rich in essential oils and terpenes, a property considered valuable for the production of the "Limoncello" lemon liqueur.

Its characteristics make it possible to consume it naturally, adding a pinch of salt or sugar or to flavor various recipes: meat, fish, vegetables of every kind, together with exotic fruits that are its ideal companions. A lemon peel added to coffee becomes an excellent digestive after a meal.

The use of the Sfusato Amalfitano also extends to the confectionery sector, as the unmistakable aroma of this precious fruit is the basis of many local specialties, such as the mythical "Delizie", "babà al limoncello", cakes, profitteroles, chocolates and other typical local sweets.

Among the processed products, "Limoncello" must certainly be mentioned, a liqueur typical of the area that has fueled an important economic activity for the whole area. Today, Limoncello is still produced on the Amalfi Coast according to the ancient traditional recipes: select the best lemons, collect them and turn them into a liqueur with an unmistakable taste. Once in the laboratory, lemons are cleaned and sent to the peeling of the same, manually, with special knives, taking care not to damage the white pulp. The very thin peels thus obtained are immersed in pure alcohol, to which, subsequently, a syrup prepared separately with water and sugar, without colorings and without preservatives is added. The infusion and the syrup are then mixed in a container until a liqueur with an unmistakable taste is obtained.