Bergamot is a fragrant citrus fruit from Citrus beramia plant. It is the size of an orange but similar in color to lime or yellowish, depending on its ripeness. It has a distinctive, heady fragrance and flavor. Although it has a bitter flesh and a thick pith, its outer yellow rind is thin, aromatic, and oily.
A lot of people are familiar with Bergamot due to the oil from the peel used for flavoring Earl Grey tea. The fruit is also great for making jam. With a bergamot jam, you will eat the entire fruit, including the peel. That is why the fruit used for making the jam must be organic or unsprayed.
Edible Bergamot Products
In its natural form, bergamot is quite acidic that cooks ignored it for centuries. But, today producers are developing new interesting products to promote other uses of the fruit. You can now find bergamot products in the form of a jam, syrup, marmalade, and cordial. In a bergamot jam, the citrus note is kept persistent and fresh with the flavor of the fruit lingering well after your first spoon. The bergamot jam is a precious spread for breakfast that pairs naturally with a cup of Earl Grey and some slices of toasted bread. Remember to add in the butter to mellow the intense bergamot flavor.
Health Benefits of Bergamot
Although the Bergamot orange itself is not consumed, they can be made into consumable products that let people enjoy its health benefits including the following:
- Relieving stress and improving mood. If diffused, bergamot oil can effectively stabilize moods. People diffuse a few drops of the essential oil to relieve themselves of stress and anxiety.
- Assist digestion. Bergamot improves the digestive process of the body. Eating jam made from the fruit can help ease bowel movement.
- Lower bad cholesterol. Bergamot lowers bad cholesterol naturally and increases good cholesterol in the body. Because it does not have side effects, it is a better option than statin drugs. By reducing bad cholesterol, the fruit improves arterial health.
- Fight body inflammation. In some studies, the fruit was shown to lower anti-inflammatory activity in the liver. It is also effective in lowering gut inflammation.
- Fight free radicals. Oxidative stress is associated with a lot of diseases and bodily issues like heart disease, premature aging symptoms, and arthritis, and inflammation. Bergamot has antioxidants that can fight free radicals caused by oxidative stress. According to studies, this activity can help prevent lung injury.
