Sicilian amaro: ancient traditions and timeless taste
A respectable Sicilian lunch or dinner always ends with a shot of amaro. Sicilian bitters are, in fact, an indispensable pleasure at the end of a meal, to end on a high note.
It is a tradition of Arab origin that has remained a sharing ritual, an additional break to be indulged in to end the meal but which, immediately after coffee, is also used as a digestive or as a drink to eliminate the taste of coffee.
Drinking an amaro facilitates digestion and gives an aromatic taste that for many is indispensable. Sicilian bitters, now widespread throughout the world, also have a story to tell and are an Italian product of excellence that preserves the tradition and culture of this beautiful island.
But what are Sicilian homemade bitters, how to serve them and which ones to choose to end a fish or meat lunch? Let’s find out right now!
Sicilian amaro: a long tradition
As already noted, the origin of Sicilian amaro is Arabic. Somewhat like many dishes in Sicilian gastronomic culture. The first alcoholic herbal infusions had a medicinal function and date back to the 1700s.
From the 1300s onward, these infusions or distillates were produced for phytotherapeutic use and used to treat specific ailments or, even, then widespread diseases such as malaria or smallpox. In fact, these drinks were believed to have a curative effect or to help prevent or delay the onset of the disease.
With the introduction and spread of spices to the European continent after the discovery of America, the amaro became very popular in the courts and aristocratic salons, acquiring a value much more like they have today: a drink to be enjoyed and sipped for pleasure and no longer for curative power.
It was not until the late 1800s that the term “amaro” became part of Italian language manuals and dictionaries with the meaning of a specific drink. From this time on, elixirs and pharmaceutical preparations were “corrected” with sugar, becoming popular digestives or end-of-meal cocktails.
Amaro today
Today, the landscape of drinks “to enjoy” with friends and company is no longer reserved only for wine, spritz and beer. Although for a long time bitters were relegated to the marginal role of “ammazzacaffè” (coffee killer) or simple end-of-meal drink within bars and village establishments, in recent years bitters have become protagonists on the scene in the same way as others. So much so that they are recommended and loved even by star chefs.
From Padua to Rome, in the wake of the trend launched in the United States, venues dedicated exclusively to bitters and bitters have sprung up, such as the Amaro bar at Il Marchese Così, the first Italian venue with a selection, indeed an entire wall, of 500 bitters where it will be impossible not to find your favorite bitters.
Historical brands and locally produced artisanal bitters that now stand out for their history, taste and many spices to try, discover and rediscover at home or behind a counter.
Sicilian Amaro: discovering the best ones
Do not ask a Sicilian to give up amaro, especially if it is a Sicilian amaro. Whether it is a habit, a sharing ritual or a necessity, amaro represents for Sicilians an indispensable table pleasure that worthily closes every meal.
The panorama of Sicilian amaro is vast, but let’s review some of the best and especially handcrafted and locally produced, conceived and created from traditional recipes and family secrets never revealed that tell a piece of Sicily or an extraordinary story.
Amaranca
Amaranca comes from an ancient secret family recipe, passed down from generation to generation and perfected over time. A Sicilian amaro with an intense but balanced taste, fresh thanks to the addition of Sicilian wild orange (citrus aurantium), typical of the citrus groves of the Conca d’Oro, and the aromatic notes of medicinal herbs and roots harvested from the slopes of Mount Etna.
Amara Caroni
Amara Caroni is a special and unique liqueur born in a lava stone cellar at the foot of Mount Etna and from the meeting of the bitter notes of IGP Sicilia blood orange peels and the aromatic notes of Etna’s herbs with Caroni rum stored in barrels. Thanks to this slow 12-month process, Amara Caroni gives a round and velvety taste with a light vanilla aroma with a woody aftertaste released from the American oak barrels.
Amaru Unnimaffissu
Amaro Unnimaffissu is a digestive produced in Sicily from a selection of carefully blended raw materials. These include orange peel, carob and prickly pears that delineate a delicate and original taste, perfect for taking a pleasant break whenever you want.
Buy it here and use code “SicilianFoodCulture10” for a 10% discount on the entire basket!
Amacardo Red and Amacardo Black
Etna’s wild artichoke and Sicilian orange peels combine to offer a Sicilian amaro with an amber color, sweet, caramelized flavor and aromatic aroma. Amacardo Red and Amarcardo Black are unique bitters to be served iced. In the Black version, wild artichoke from Etna is used pure giving a more intense taste that evokes the Sicilian land.
Amaro della Santuzza
In Palermo, in western Sicily, Amaro della Santuzza is produced, an herbal liqueur dedicated to the city’s patron saint and prepared with a selection of local herbs found along the Itinerarium Rosalie, from Monte Pellegrino to Quisquina, traveled each year by the faithful.
This extraordinary Sicilian bitter was the brainchild of Don Gaetano Ceravolo, who was serving at the shrine and who, after tasting a liqueur from the Sclafani company in Bolognetta at a friend’s house, decided to turn to it to have a liqueur made in honor of the Santuzza.
A recipe perfected over time that combines an infusion of wild fennel, mint, St. John’s Wort and aloe vera with sugar and caramel for an aromatic drink rich in Sicilian flavors.
Amaravigghia
“Wonder” is what you will feel when you taste Amaravigghia (in Sicilian dialect, “the wonder”), an amaro that comes from the combination of Etna’s herbs, juniper, gentian, Cinchona bark, wormwood and peels of the citrus Buddha’s hands.
This Sicilian bitter is part of “I Gioielli del Gusto” the line of food and wine products from Isolabella Gioielli, the Catania-based brand that has decided to focus on Sicilian excellence. An extraordinary, intense and unforgettable flavor.
Amaro Sabbenerica
Palermo-based company Amari Siciliani surprises with a line of bitters that combines a love of tradition and a desire to innovate. Thus was born Amaro Sabbenerica, which already from its name, which evokes the ancient greeting used in Sicily by grandparents and great-grandparents until the 1950s and literally means “you be blessed,” wishes for a unique and intense sip of Sicily. The aromatic notes of artichoke, bay leaf, lemon and ginger give an elegant product, rich in history and tradition, but with a flavor that never tires.
BeddAmari
In 2011, Sicaffè was born in Palermo, a Sicilian brand with a clear mission: to share the passion for espresso while keeping tradition and love for the territory high. Thus was also born BeddAmari, from the idea of the same entrepreneur, who decided to launch a line of Sicilian bitters that evoke Sicily in both flavor and name.
Beddamari recalls, in fact, the term “beddamatri,” a dialect exclamation that has the same meaning as “mamma mia!”
The style is also Sicilian. The majolica tiles in the packaging evoke the decorations of ancient Sicilian cement tiles and carts. But let’s talk about the ingredients.
The bitter orange and almonds of Cocciu d’Amuri, the citron, ginger and allaro of Ciuriddu, the cocoa and cinnamon of Perla Nera that evoke the intensity of the sea of the island of Ustica, and the aromatic and alcoholic notes of Testa di Moro espresso coffee, with the best selections of Arabica and Robusta.
Amaro Indigeno
We return to the eastern part of Sicily to discover a Sicilian amaro with strong contrasts and an inimitable taste. We are talking about Amaro Indigeno, a liqueur that blends the delicacy and sweetness of pomegranate and carob with the citrus notes of orange for a fresh, fruity taste that is loved at first sip. The bitter notes come later, given by the wild herbs that grow on the slopes of Etna. Perfect to end a lunch or dinner with gourmet and traditional dishes.
Mannamaru
Tradition and history, a lot of Sicilianity and flavors that tell the story of the territory with excellent ingredients and products. Mannamaru is all of this, a Sicilian bitter that leaves no room for half-measures and is appreciated for the sweet and citrusy notes of the organic Sicilian mandarin, which grows on the slopes of Mount Etna by local farmers.
Young Sicilians Gaetano Peci and Salvo Cosentino chose to make the mandarin the protagonist of this refined, unique and original bitter, with an unmistakable name that combines “manna” (from “manna-rinu” literally mandarin in Sicilian dialect) and “bitter” a combination that also evokes the expression “m’annamuru” literally “I fall in love“. And how can one not fall in love with Sicily after a sip of Mannamaru?
Rosso Amaro
But let’s leave the citrus notes behind to shine the spotlight on another ingredient of excellence: the Nero d’Avola red grape, the real star of Rosso Amaro, which was born precisely from the encounter between the red grapes of this variety and local herbs.
A Sicilian amaro with digestive properties and a full-bodied and intense taste, perfect to share at the end of a lunch or dinner based on typical Sicilian dishes. Together with the intense flavor of Nero d’Avola vines, laurel, thistle, cinnamon, thyme, carob and orange peel give this Sicilian bitter an even stronger, fresh yet refined and delicate flavor.
Spinamara
Blood orange, prickly pear and wild orange. These are the main ingredients of Spinamara, a Sicilian amaro that tells of Sicily right from its aroma. It was born on the slopes of Mount Etna, from the idea of sisters Sara and Francesca Piana, who decided to take their first steps into the world of catering with the first natural Sicilian bitter made with these special ingredients.
Thanks to the special mix of herbs and the combination of blood orange, wild orange and prickly pear, this bitter is perfect as a digestive and ideal for those who love strong and intense, but also perfectly balanced flavors.
Shurhuq
The name of this Sicilian amaro hints at the intent of the friendly couple Salvo Neri and Nicola Cammisano, who wanted to celebrate Sicilian excellence with a product that evokes its ancient origins.
Shurhuq (meaning “sirocco” in Arabic) is the name of this bitter made with pomegranate juice, bitter orange and wild fennel. An odd combination? Actually, no.
The hot wind from the desert and distant lands is like those products brought to Sicily from the same lands. The fresh and delicate flavor of pomegranate, rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, is enriched with the intense notes of oranges and wild fennel to give the pleasure of a fresh and rejuvenating taste at the end of a meal. Ideal for the preparation of cocktails or to drink with ice as a digestive, Shurhuq also becomes a collectible liqueur thanks to the ceramic glasses decorated with the typical Moorish heads and created by Bagheria artist Laura Buzzetta. A liquor to drink and to give as a gift.
How about you? Do you know any other Sicilian bitters and would like to recommend one? Write to us in the comments!
