Consorzio Motta

The first intensive plantation of bergamot trees seems to have been planted in Reggio Calabria around the mid-18th century by Nicola Parisi. At that time, the extraction process of the essence was obviously artisanal: it took more than a century for the operations to be automated and made reproducible on an industrial scale. To date, the region that gave rise to this trade remains a leader in exporting the finished product, leading to an identity relationship between bergamot and the stretch of coast of the Ionian Sea where this plant takes root.

The Consorzio Motta has been a spokesperson for this identity for over twenty years, extending the same attention usually reserved for this flagship citrus to a range of typical products of the territory. Founded in 2003, its main objective is to represent Calabrian agri-food productions in the world, to promote them and make them known through digital channels as well as at traditional fairs.

The bergamot of Consorzio Motta

For some, “bergamot” is synonymous with “alcoholic beverage”: although famous and renowned are the flavored wines, grappas, and liqueurs, there are also fruit juices and non-alcoholic drinks based on bergamot, part of the “Percorso Benessere” line of Consorzio Motta. 

The company's offerings include jams, candies with an unmistakable fragrance, jars of honey, and many other products – even non-edible ones, like soaps – made from the sweet and pungent essence of bergamot, which recalls a cup of Earl Gray or evokes the natural landscape associated with citrus groves, cool with shade and fragrances.

Bergamot up close

There is not just one variety of bergamot: the main types are three, namely femminello, castagnaro, and finally fantastico, used even when unripe for the preparation of candied fruits or essences – also for perfumery. Since the 18th century, in fact, the notes of bergamot have been included in Eau de Cologne and eau de toilette, making it a fundamental ingredient.

To produce one liter of bergamot essence, it takes as much as 200kg of fruit: from this, one can understand the value and worth of this fruit, considering also the reduced quantities of bergamots in global agri-food production. The bergamot of Consorzio Motta is the bergamot of Calabria: the green gold of a region available to consumers across Italy.

Not just bergamot: the other products of Consorzio Motta

Calabria is also the land of hot chili pepper, used by the Consorzio to create sweet creams with a spicy aftertaste or extremely spicy mousses containing 88% chopped chili pepper, for lovers of strong and bold flavors. Besides the iconic chili pepper, the red onions of Calabria, wild oregano, and also the local pomegranate, offered as 100% pure fruit juice, are representatives of the unique goodness linked to Calabrian products.

Here are some highlighted products from our shop: