Pariani Calabrian Candied Bergamot Peel Ingredients

Candied bergamot peel has a heady, floral-citrus perfume. The bitter-sweet flavour is like a cross between grapefruit and lime with orange-blossom notes.

Pieces of candied bergamot peel are delightful in the centre of dark chocolate truffles. Slice the peel into thin strips to decorate a cake or garnish a cocktail.

Bergamots are perhaps most well-known for giving Earl Grey tea its distinctive aroma. Most bergamots are only grown along the coast of Reggio di Calabria in Italy, and any products made with those fruits are under constant scrutiny by the Italian government to ensure the highest quality.

Candied peel from Italian producer Pariani is different from candied peel you’ve tasted before. Created in partnership with Netflix Chef’s Table star Corrado Assenza, it is beautifully soft and retains the aroma of fresh citrus.

Buy why so different?

Only the finest Calabrian fruits are used. And the process is very different.

Usually candied peel is cooked. It is simmered for up to 74 hours in glucose syrup and sugar. Instead this peel is ‘cold-candied’. It is layered with sugar – no glucose syrup – and left overnight. The water seeps out from the fruit and dissolves the sugar, and the peel reabsorbs that sugar syrup now aromatic with citrus essential oils. The next day, the fruit is rinsed, and then layered again. A process repeated for 40 days. 

Pariani are an Italian family business that started in 2010. They work with farmers all over Sicily and mainland Italy to find the best nuts and fruits for their products. Pariani’s mission is to inspire creative cooks with ingredients made from the finest Italian produce.

Storage 

The quarters of bergamot peel retain a layer of white pith. When stored in a cool place, sugars will crystallise on the surface of the peel, appearing as a white ‘bloom’. This is natural and does not affect the quality or flavour of the product.

Once opened just store in an airtight container in the fridge and use within four weeks.

Ingredients: bergamot peel, sugar syrup.