''Citrus bergamia'', the bergamot orange (pronounced ), is a fragrant

citrus fruit ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering plant, flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as Orange (fruit), oranges, Mandarin orange, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, ...

the size of an

orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower ** Orange juice *Orange (colour), the color of an orange fruit, occurs between red and yellow in the vi ...

, with a yellow or green colour similar to a

lime Lime most commonly refers to: * Lime (fruit), a green citrus fruit * Lime (material), inorganic materials containing calcium, usually calcium oxide or calcium hydroxide * Lime (color), a color between yellow and green Lime may also refer to: Bo ...

, depending on ripeness. Genetic research into the ancestral origins of extant citrus cultivars found bergamot orange to be a probable hybrid of

lemon The lemon (''Citrus'' × ''limon'') is a species of small evergreen tree in the ''Citrus'' genus of the flowering plant family Rutaceae. A true lemon is a hybrid of the citron and the bitter orange. Its origins are uncertain, but some ...

(itself a hybrid between

bitter orange The bitter orange, sour orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the hybrid citrus tree species ''Citrus'' × ''aurantium'', and its fruit. It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of th ...

and

citron The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick Peel (fruit), rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the Citrus taxonomy#Citrons, original citrus fruits from which al ...

) and

. Extracts have been used as an aromatic ingredient in food, tea,

snus Snus (, ; ) is a Swedish smokeless tobacco, tobacco product. It is consumed by placing a pouch of powdered tobacco leaves under the lip for nicotine to be absorbed through the Mucous membrane, oral mucosa. Snus, not to be confused with Nicoti ...

, perfumes, and cosmetics. Use on the skin can increase

photosensitivity Photosensitivity is the amount to which an object reacts upon receiving photons, especially visible light. In medicine, the term is principally used for abnormal reactions of the skin, and two types are distinguished, photoallergy and phototoxicit ...

, resulting in greater damage from sun exposure.

Etymology

The word bergamot is derived from the Italian word , derived either from the Italian town of

Bergamo Bergamo ( , ; ) is a city in the Alps, alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from the alpine lakes Lake Como, Como and Lake Iseo, Iseo and 70 km (43 mi) from Lake Garda, Garda and Lake ...

Ottoman Turkish Ottoman Turkish (, ; ) was the standardized register of the Turkish language in the Ottoman Empire (14th to 20th centuries CE). It borrowed extensively, in all aspects, from Arabic and Persian. It was written in the Ottoman Turkish alphabet. ...

(, 'prince's pear').

Description

''Citrus bergamia'' is a small tree that

blossom In botany, blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus ''Prunus'') and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring. Colloquially, flowers of orange are referred to as such as w ...

s during the winter. The juice tastes less sour than lemon, but more bitter than

grapefruit The grapefruit (''Citrus'' × ''paradisi'') is a subtropical citrus tree known for its relatively large, sour to semi-sweet, somewhat bitter fruit. The flesh of the fruit is segmented and varies in color from pale yellow to dark red. Grapefru ...

Phytochemicals

Bergamot fruit or oil contains

flavonoid Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

s, such as neoeriocitrin,

naringin Naringin is a flavanone-7-''O''-glycoside between the flavanone naringenin and the disaccharide neohesperidose. The flavonoid naringin occurs naturally in citrus fruits, especially in grapefruit, where naringin is responsible for the fruit's bitte ...

neohesperidin Neohesperidin is a flavanone glycoside found in citrus fruits. It is the 7-O- neohesperidose derivative of hesperetin, which in turn is the 4'-methoxy derivative of eriodictyol. Neohesperidin dihydrochalcone has an intense sweet taste, and is list ...

melitidin Melitidin is a flavanone glycoside. Melitidin was discovered in bergamot orange juice and exhibits statin Statins (or HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors) are a class of medications that lower cholesterol. They are prescribed typically to people ...

brutieridin Brutieridin is a flavanone glycoside. Brutieridin was discovered in bergamot orange juice and exhibits statin-like properties in preclinical research,

, and

bergamottin Bergamottin (5-geranoxypsoralen) is a natural furanocoumarin found in the pulp of pomelos and grapefruits. It is also found in the peel and pulp of the bergamot orange, from which it was first isolated and from which its name is derived. Chemis ...

. Bergamot leaves contain different

indole alkaloid Indole alkaloids are a class of alkaloids containing a structural moiety of indole; many indole alkaloids also include isoprene groups and are thus called terpene indole or secologanin tryptamine alkaloids. Containing more than 4100 known differ ...

s, such as N,N,N-trimethyltryptamine.

Taxonomy

The bergamot orange is unrelated to the herbs known as bergamot, wild bergamot, bergamot mint, or bergamint – ''

Monarda didyma ''Monarda didyma'', the crimson beebalm, scarlet beebalm, scarlet monarda, Eau-de-Cologne plant, Oswego tea, or bergamot, is a North American aromatic herb in the family Lamiaceae. Description ''M. didyma'' is a perennial plant that grows to i ...

'', '' M. fistulosa'', and

Eau de Cologne mint Eau de Cologne mint, also known as orange mint and bergamot mint, is a cultivated mint. In a 1970 study, most plants were found to be male sterile forms of '' Mentha aquatica'', so were regarded as ''Mentha aquatica'' var. ''citrata'', although i ...

(''

Mentha ''Mentha'', also known as mint (from Greek , Linear B ''mi-ta''), is a genus of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is estimated that 13 to 24 species exist, but the exact distinction between species is unclear. Hybridization oc ...

'', disputed species). Those are all in the

mint family The Lamiaceae ( ) or Labiatae are a family of flowering plants commonly known as the mint, deadnettle, or sage family. Many of the plants are aromatic in all parts and include widely used culinary herbs like basil, mint, rosemary, sage, sav ...

, and are named for their similar aroma. The ''C. bergamia'' is frequently misidentified as another citrus, ''C. hystrix'' (kaffir lime), due to the latter occasionally going by the name "Thai Bergamot". ''Citrus bergamia'' has also been classified as ''C. aurantium'' subsp. ''bergamia'' (i.e., a subspecies of

). ''C. bergamia'' is sometimes confused with ''C. medica'' (the

, the yellow fruit of which is also known as

etrog Etrog (, plural: ; Ashkenazi Hebrew: , plural: ) is the yellow citron (''Citrus medica'') used by Jews during the weeklong holiday of Sukkot as one of the four species. Together with the ''lulav'', ''hadass'', and ''Aravah (Sukkot), aravah'', th ...

), and with '' C. limetta'', the "sweet lemon" or "sweet lime".

Production

The bergamot is a citrus fruit native mostly to Mediterannean areas. Production is on large scale in the

Ionian Sea The Ionian Sea (, ; or , ; , ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, and the Salento peninsula to the west, ...

coastal areas of the province of

Reggio di Calabria Reggio di Calabria (; ), commonly and officially referred to as Reggio Calabria, or simply Reggio by its inhabitants, is the largest city in Calabria as well as the seat of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria. As of 2025, it has 168,572 ...

in Italy, to such an extent that it is a symbol of the entire city. Most of the bergamot production of Italy is at this short stretch of coastal land, where the climate is favourable. The fruit is also largely cultivated in Argentina, Brazil, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Greece, Turkey and South-East Asia. It is also grown in southern France and the Ivory Coast for the

essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils, aetheroleum, or simply as the ...

and in

Antalya Antalya is the fifth-most populous city in Turkey and the capital of Antalya Province. Recognized as the "capital of tourism" in Turkey and a pivotal part of the Turkish Riviera, Antalya sits on Anatolia's southwest coast, flanked by the Tau ...

in southern

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

for its

marmalade Marmalade (from the Portuguese ''marmelada'') is a fruit preserves, fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits boiled with sugar and water. The well-known version is made from bitter orange. It also has been made from lemons ...

. The fruit is not generally grown for juice consumption. However, in

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

where it is grown on a small-scale basis, it is largely consumed as juice by the locals. One hundred bergamot oranges yield about of bergamot oil.

Adulteration An adulterant is a substance secretly added to another that may compromise the safety or effectiveness. Typical substances that are adulterated include food, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals or fuels. Definition Adulteration is the practice of secre ...

with cheaper products such as oil of

rosewood Rosewood is any of a number of richly hued hardwoods, often brownish with darker veining, but found in other colours. It is hard, tough, strong, and dense. True rosewoods come from trees of the genus '' Dalbergia'', but other woods are often ca ...

and bergamot mint has been a problem for consumers. To protect the reputation of their produce, the Italian government introduced tight controls, including testing and certificates of purity. The '' Stazione Sperimentale per le Industrie delle Essenze e dei Derivati dagli Agrumi'' (Experimental Station for Essential Oil and Citrus By-Products) located in

, is the quality control body for the essential oil ''Bergamotto di Reggio Calabria'' DOP. During World War II, Italy was unable to export to countries such as the Allied powers. Rival products from Brazil and Mexico came onto the market as a substitute, but these were produced from other citrus fruits such as

sweet lime Sweet lemon and sweet lime refer to groups of citrus hybrids that contain low acid Juice vesicles, pulp and juice. They are hybrids often similar to non-sweet lemons or lime (fruit), limes, but with less citron parentage. Sweet limes and lemon ...

.Board, Niir (2011). "Oil of Bergamot." ''The Complete Technology Book of Essential Oils (Aromatic Chemicals)''. p. 75. .

Uses

Tea and other uses

An essence extracted from the aromatic skin of this sour fruit is used to flavour

Earl Grey Earl Grey is a title in the peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1806 for General Charles Grey, 1st Baron Grey. In 1801, he was given the title Baron Grey of Howick in the County of Northumberland, and in 1806 he was created Viscoun ...

and Lady Grey

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of '' Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of south-western China and nor ...

s, as well as

confectionery Confectionery is the Art (skill), art of making confections, or sweet foods. Confections are items that are rich in sugar and carbohydrates, although exact definitions are difficult. In general, however, confections are divided into two bro ...

(including

Turkish delight Turkish delight, or lokum () is a family of confectionery, confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often fl ...

). Bergamot is one of the most common "casings" (flavourings) added to Swedish

, a smokeless tobacco product.

Fragrance

Bergamot oil is one of the most commonly used ingredients in

perfumery Perfume (, ) is a mixture of fragrance, fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), Fixative (perfumery), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agre ...

. It is prized for its ability to combine with an array of scents to form a bouquet of

aroma An odor (American English) or odour (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is a smell or a scent caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds generally found in low concentrations that humans and many animals can perceive v ...

s that complement each other. . . Bergamot is a major component of the original composed by Jean-Marie Farina at the beginning of the 18th century in Germany. The first use of bergamot oil as a fragrance ingredient was recorded in 1714, and can be found in the Farina Archive in

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

Toxicology

In several

patch test A patch test is a diagnostic method used to determine which specific substances cause allergic inflammation of a patient's skin. Patch testing helps identify which substances may be causing a delayed-type allergic reaction in a patient and ...

studies, application of some sources of bergamot oil directly to the skin of

guinea pig The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig (''Cavia porcellus''), also known as the cavy or domestic cavy ( ), is a species of rodent belonging to the genus ''Cavia'', family Caviidae. Animal fancy, Breeders tend to use the name "cavy" for the ani ...

s was shown to have a concentration-dependent

phototoxic Phototoxicity, also called photoirritation, is a chemically induced skin irritation, requiring light, that does not involve the immune system. It is a type of photosensitivity. The skin response resembles an exaggerated sunburn. The involved chem ...

effect of increasing redness after exposure to

ultraviolet Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10% of ...

light (due to the chemical

bergapten Bergapten (5-methoxypsoralen) is a naturally-occurring organic chemical compound produced by numerous plant species, especially from the carrot family Apiaceae and the citrus family Rutaceae. For example, bergapten has been extracted from 24 ...

, and possibly also

citropten Citropten is a natural organic compound with the molecular formula C11H10O4. It is found in the essential oils of citrus such as lime, lemon, and bergamot. Properties Studies suggest it possesses several potential properties: * Antimicrobial ...

geranial Citral is an acyclic monoterpene aldehyde. Being a monoterpene, it is made of two isoprene units. Citral is a collective term which covers two geometric isomers that have their own separate names; the E-Z notation, ''E''-isomer is named geranial ...

, and neral). This is a property shared by many other

citrus fruits ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is native to S ...

and other members of

Rutaceae The Rutaceae () is a family (biology), family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in Bo ...

, including

rue ''Ruta graveolens'', commonly known as rue, common rue or herb-of-grace, is a species of the genus '' Ruta'' grown as an ornamental plant and herb. It is native to the Mediterranean. It is grown throughout the world in gardens, especially for i ...

Skin effects

Used in

cosmetics Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either Natural product, natural source ...

and

perfume Perfume (, ) is a mixture of fragrance, fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds (fragrances), Fixative (perfumery), fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living-spaces an agre ...

products, bergamot may cause skin irritation. In the past,

psoralen Psoralen (also called psoralene) is the parent compound in a family of naturally occurring organic compounds known as the linear furanocoumarins. It is structurally related to coumarin by the addition of a fused furan ring, and may be considered a ...

extracted from bergamot oil was used in

tanning accelerator Sunless tanning refers to the effect of a suntan without exposure to the Sun. Sunless tanning involves the use of oral agents (carotenids), or creams, lotions or sprays applied to the skin. Skin-applied products may be skin-reactive agents or ...

s and

sunscreen Sunscreen, also known as sunblock, sun lotion or sun cream, is a photoprotection, photoprotective topical product for the Human skin, skin that helps protect against sunburn and prevent skin cancer. Sunscreens come as lotions, sprays, gels, fo ...

s. Known to be

photocarcinogen A photocarcinogen is a substance which causes cancer when an organism is exposed to it, then illuminated. Many chemicals that are not carcinogenic can be photocarcinogenic when combined with exposure to light, especially UV. This can easily be un ...

ic since 1959, the substances nonetheless were used in tanning activators until 1995, contributing to many cases of melanoma and death.

Research

As of 2017,

clinical research Clinical research is a branch of medical research that involves people and aims to determine the effectiveness (efficacy) and safety of medications, devices, diagnostic products, and treatment regimens intended for improving human health. The ...

conducted on bergamot oil has been of poor quality, with no conclusions about its possible biological effects. Consuming bergamot oil as a component of tea may cause

muscle cramp A cramp is a sudden, involuntary, painful skeletal muscle contraction or overshortening associated with electrical activity. While generally temporary and non-damaging, they can cause significant pain and a paralysis-like immobility of the affe ...

s. Use on the skin may be unsafe, particularly for children and pregnant women, and may cause

rash A rash is a change of the skin that affects its color, appearance, or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin. Rashes may cause the skin to change color, itch, become warm, bumpy, chapped, dry, cracke ...

es resulting from photodermatotoxicity.

References

External links

Bergamot by Citrus Variety Collection of the UCR
* ''Citrus bergamia'' on Wikispecies
BBC news story on the farming of Bergamot in the Calabria region of Italy

Information about the hard candy ''bergamote de Nancy''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bergamot Orange Calabria Citrus hybrids Flora of Greece Flora of Iran

Citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is nativ ...

Oranges (fruit) Ark of Taste foods