sunday, november 25th, 2007

Amaretto's association with love and romance is a result of a misinterpretation of the word's true meaning which is perhaps something that frequently does play a role in the game of love, although many of us are loathe to admit it; bitterness. The sweet Italian liqueur is made from a base of absolute liquor and an infusion of stones from the drupe fruit family, such as peaches, apricots or the bitter almond. It's the fruit stones that lend a subtle bitter note to amaretto and the conflation of the words amaro and amore, Italian for love, is the reason the sweet, slightly syrupy liquid will forever find its way to the lover's table. The word amaretto then is often interpreted as an amalgamation of the two words, roughly translated as "a little bitter love". Once the liqueur's base is properly infused, it's sweetened with caramelised sugar or sweet almond essence along with a combination of herbs and fruits that the world's classic amaretto companies such as DiSaronno and Lazzaroni refuse to reveal. This mystery along with the liqueur's ties to love heighten the mystique of this languid, cloying spirit.

The Italian custom of incorporating almonds into recipes originated in Sicily between the 9th and 10th centuries. There was a strong Arabic presence in this region at the time and their tradition of using almonds in both sweet and savory dishes influenced the early Sicilians. The practice eventually spread north to the Lombardy region, specifically the municipality of Saronno, where the first almond based Italian liqueurs emerged. Today DiSaronno Amaretto is the world's most famous amaretto brand and the company claims that their recipe, which is actually based on apricot essence instead of the traditional almond, has not changed since 1525. Their liqueur contains 17 secret herbs and spices and the classic rectangular shaped glass decanter was created by an artisan in Murano centuries ago.

The company perpetuates the sentimental Renaissance era legend that their recipe is based on the one created by a widowed innkeeper who posed as a model for Bernardino Luini, a student of Leonardo Da Vinci. In 1525 the artist was commissioned to paint the frescoes of a church in Saronno. The innkeeper posed as the Virgin Mary for Luini and eventually became the artist's lover. Having limited resources, she presented him with a liqueur of apricot stones steeped in brandy as a sign of her affection. While this story is most likely a marketing ploy, it further bolsters amaretto's symbolic link to love.
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