[1] Fabrizia limoncello (photos #1 and #3 © Moody Mixologist).

[2] Sicilian lemons (photo © Sicily On Web).

[3] How about a Pink Limoncello Reviver? Here’s the recipe.

[4] Limoncello Prosecco Sparkler. Here’s the recipe (photos #4 and #5 © Inside The Rustic Kitchen).

[5] Italian-Cuban fusion: a Limoncello Mojito Here’s the recipe.

[6] House-made limoncello is an after-dinner delight at Il Mulino Restaurant in New York City (photo © Il Mulino | Facebook).

[7] Homemade limoncello (photo CC-BY-NC-ND-2.0-license).

Welcome to American limoncello! You may know limoncello as an Italian liqueur, and it is. But a family in New England has been making their own and racking up awards so they’ve expanded to other liqueurs, canned cocktails, and baked goods.

While we’ve had a number of imported brands of limoncello, the artisanal, all-natural limoncello from Fabrizia Spirits, has taken our fancy. If you’re not familiar with limoncello:

Limoncello is lemon liqueur. It has been enjoyed in Italy for close to a century (see the history below, as an apéritif before a meal, a digestif after dinner and as a palate cleanser between courses. (Keep the bottle in the freezer to enjoy a chilled shot, sipping slowly.)

Limoncello is made from lemon peel/rind/zest (which contains lots of great-tasting lemon oil) and juice, with vodka (or grappa) as the base spirit, plus sugar and water. The latter two ingredients are turned into simple syrup.

The lemons infuse in the vodka for a few weeks, giving the vodka an intense lemon flavor. The simple syrup is then added. Brands have different levels of sweetness based on the taste of the producer (some like it sweet, others less so—we’re with the Team Less So). The liqueur is sweet, not tart.

And yes, you can make it at home. Here’s a recipe.

To viewers of the Hotel Portofino television series on Brit Box and PBS, the alcohol-averse Lady Latchmere may or may not have been served “Italian lemonade,” limoncello added to conventional lemonade. Perhaps she was given straight limoncello: The woman needed to chill!

Limoncello has its own food holiday: June 22nd is National Limoncello Day. And plan to make Italian lemonade on August 20th, National Lemonade Day.
 
 
FABRIZIA LIMONCELLO

In New England, the Mastroianni family made limoncello at home with a recipe from relatives who live in the hilltop village of Platania, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in the Calabria region of Italy.

Fabrizia, meaning “one who works with his hands,” gives the nod to artisan craftsmanship.

What started in a tiny garage in Massachusetts many years ago became award-winning Fabrizia Limoncello made with Sicilian lemons. Among other awards, it won the gold medal in the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Now produced in Salem, New Hampshire, it’s the leading Limoncello in America.
 
Made With Sicilian Lemons

The family traveled to Sicily in order to find the perfect lemons for their products.

Why Sicilian lemons?

Sicily has been called the “Lemon Riviera,” claiming the world’s finest lemons.

The island has been cultivating lemons for more than 1,200 years. The Bay of Palermo was once called the Conca d’Oro, Shell of Gold, because of the many groves of bright yellow citrus fruits gleaming in the sunshine.

The Mediterranean climate and rich volcanic soil surrounding Mt. Edna give Sicilian lemons a special sweetness and flavor. They are less acidic than other varieties and the variety has a thick oily skin, delivering lemon oil that is perfect for making good limoncello.

According to one article, nine out of ten lemons sold in Italy come from Sicily [source].

Here are the different varieties (subspecies) of Sicilian lemons.

Variations of limoncello include arancello (flavored with oranges), agrumello (flavored with mixed citrus), pistachiocello (flavored with pistachio nuts), meloncello (flavored with cantaloupe), and fragoncello (flavored with strawberry).

A version made cream is called crema di limoncello.
 
The Fabrizza Line

Fabrizia has developed a line of liqueurs and ready-to-drink products and also created the Fabrizia Lemon Baking Company.

 
Fabrizia limoncello is a real treat. We happened to have a bottle of a popular Italian brand to compare. Numerous brands from Italy are artificially flavored (it’s much cheaper than infusing peel in vodka for several weeks). Some of these limoncellos taste like lemon drop candy.

Fortunately, there are still artisan producers of the traditional Italian spirit, like Fabrizia Spirits. Fabrizia limoncello tastes fresh and natural, and bright with the flavor of citrus oil.

Trivia: Why is limoncello cloudy? Limoncello is cloudy/opaque due to the high content of the oil in the lemon peel. The oil molecules dissolve in the clear high-proof vodka.

But the subsequent addition of sugar lowers the ethanol percentage of the vodka. This brings the lemon oil out of the solution, where it mixes/emulsifies with water molecules in the simple syrup. (This is the same process by which absinthe turns cloudy when water is added.)
 
The Fabrizza Lemon Baking Company

Also, I wanted to share about our Lemon Baking Company. When the pandemic hit, and restaurants and bars shut down, the family sought another way to keep their staff working.

In 2020 they launched the Lemon Baking Company, incorporating their lLimoncello into blondies, biscotti, cookies, cake jars, lemon loaves, and whoopie pies.

Ready to dig in?

> For beverages, head to FabriziasSpirits.com.

> For baked goods, head to FabriziaLemonBakingCompany.com.
 
 
LIMONCELLO COCKTAILS

While limoncello was made to sip straight, it is a great mixer. There are many limoncello cocktail recipes, and you can create your own.

The classic Lemon Drop Cocktail combines vodka with lemon juice, triple sec, and simple syrup. But make your own version with vodka and limoncello.

Or combine gin or tequila with limoncello. Or with tonic water or mineral water.

Check out this Pink Limoncello Reviver cocktail from Moody Mixologist (photo #3).

Here are two more recipes: Cranberry Lemonade With Limoncello, and an update of the Screwdriver made with orange vodka, fresh orange juice, and limoncello.

And here are yet more limoncello cocktails.

It may sound cliched for such a recently-commercialized product, but the history of limoncello is shrouded in mystery. There is no historical documentation of limoncello before the beginning of the 20th century.

Outside of a handful of families and social circles, few Italians drank it before 1988, when the entrepreneur Massimo Canale of Capri registered the trademark “Limoncello di Capri” and began producing it in quantities that could first be sold commercially to bars, restaurants, and supermarkets throughout the area.

There are numerous printed mentions of limoncello, but no indication of where, or when, limoncello was invented.

The fact is that most liqueurs were made either by monks or by families with access to the ingredients. So anyone with a lemon tree could have been making the liqueur for generations.

Massimo Canale’s great-aunt, Maria Antonia Farace, made limoncello from the early 1900s onward, at her boardinghouse in Azzurra. She turned the lemons in her garden into the liqueur.

During the postwar period, her nephew opened a bar that specialized in the lemon liquor made with Farace’s old recipe.

In 1988, his son, Farace’s great-nephew Massimo Canale, started a small handmade production of limoncello, and registered the trademark* Limoncello.

So is that the end of it?

No! Sorrento and Amalfi have their own origin stories regarding the production of the lemon liqueur, which go back much further. Here are other origin stories from the city of Sorrento and the the Amalfi coast [source].

These origin stories take the production back to the Middle Ages.

And that, ladies and gents, is the reason behind the actual origin of limoncello.

No doubt, lemon-based liqueurs are much older than 1900, and maybe even older than the Middle Ages. Where there was plentiful fruit, it was turned into liqueur by monks or families.

Lemons are believed to have originated in northwestern India, where they have been cultivated for more than 2,500 years. Arab traders brought the lemons to the Middle East and Africa sometime after 100 C.E. Lemons arrived in Sicily, during the 9th century Arab invasions.

Many families made their own liqueurs at home, some of which, like amaretto, became major brands.

Whatever the origin, limoncello became popular throughout Italy, and from there to Europe and the U.S.

And the name?

The English translation of the limoncello means “of a yellow colo.” In some Italian dialects it also refers to a small kind of lemon with a smooth peel [source].
 
 
> The history of lemons.

> The different types of lemons.
 
________________

*In 1992, Charles C. Winchester filed for the American trademark, but it was abandoned in 2000, likely because the term had become generic [source].

The 2002 National Negroni Week runs from September 12th-18th, with celebrants meeting at their favorite watering holes to toast.

Negroni Week was established in 2013 by Imbibe Magazine and Campari, as a celebration of one of the world’s great cocktails. It also raises money for charity.

In 2013, the Negroni was the World’s #2 cocktail. This year, it’s moved up to #1 according to Drinks International, followed by the Old Fashioned, Dry Martini, and Margarita.

Call up your fellow revelers and get together this week for a Negroni or two.

But what if you’re not drinking alcohol? Head to the next section.

> Here’s the original recipe (gin, Campari, sweet vermouth) and the history of the Negroni.

> Negroni food pairings.
 
 
LYRE’S NON-ALCOHOLIC SPIRITS

According to NielsenIQ, U.S. retail sales of non-alcoholic spirits grew 116% to $4.5 million this year. That’s quite a trend line!

Head to Lyres.com to discover an exciting world of elegant, sophisticated non-alcoholic spirits. You can make a zero-alcohol Negroni (photo #1) or any of your favorite cocktails.

Many years in the making, Lyre’s exquisite range of lovingly crafted zero-alcohol drink options was created to give people the freedom to enjoy spirits and cocktails with no alcohol.

The spirits and liqueurs* have classic bouquets and flavors and a rich mouthfeel, with length on the palate—just like conventional spirits.

There is an extensive range of non-alcoholic options. Note that the products can’t be called tequila, rum, etc. so have been cleverly renamed.

 
The packaging is top quality, with beautiful graphics.

The line has won numerous awards in international spirits competitions, often competing in categories with conventional spirits.
 
 
A NEGRONI GIFT SET

In addition to more non-alcoholic spirits than you could hope for, there’s a special Negroni Set (photo #2) consisting of three varieties to mix together:

 
There are other gift sets and even canned cocktails.
 
 
HOW IS LYRE’S MADE?

“Lyre’s is incredibly challenging to craft,” states the brand, from the expert deconstruction of the elements that create the classic flavors, to the meticulous sourcing of every all-natural, unique essence, extract, and distillate from around the globe.

It’s a proprietary process, of course. The result is a premium (yet affordable) product that is gratefully enjoyed by non-drinkers.

Lyre’s was founded by two Australians living in the U.K. The headquarters are in London, with offices around the world.

Lyre’s is made in Leicestershire, United Kingdom, Melbourne, Australia, and Montreal, Canada.
 
 
WHAT ABOUT THE NAME?

When we first heard the name, we envisioned the stringed musical instrument created in ancient Greece. It seemed fitting to have something classic and musical to describe the brand.

The brand name, however, has a different, if equally charming, provenance. It was inspired by the Australian Lyrebird, the world’s greatest mimic. It can mimic all kinds of sounds: other birdsong, even the ring of a mobile phone. You can see the bird here.

The Lyre’s team has worked hard to make its non-alcoholic spirits mimic classic spirits.

They have done a great job!

[1] A Negroni made with Lyre’s spirits (all photos © Lyre’s).

[2] You can buy the Negroni ingredients in a set.

[3] American malt whiskey-type spirit on the rocks.

[4] A zero-alcohol version of an Aperol Spritz.

[5] How about a Piña Colada?

________________

*In the umbrella category of alcoholic drinks, spirits and liquor are the same thing: the hardest alcohol product (often 40% A.B.V. and above) made by distillation. It can be flavored (e.g. spiced rum) but is always unsweetened. Liqueur, on the other hand, is a sweetened alcoholic product made from liquor. It is typically flavored (think amaretto [almond], crème de cacao [chocolate], triple sec [orange]), and is generally lower proof (e.g. 30% A.B.V.). Here’s the difference between a liqueur and a cordial.

[1] Chocolate hazelnut Bourbon milkshake. The recipe is at right. (photo © Gelson’s Markets | Facebook).

[2] Nutella for the shake (photo © Mikael Stenberg | Unsplash).

[3] Chocolate fruitcake shakes. Here’s the recipe (photos #3 and #4 © American Heritage Chocolate).

[4] How about a chocolate cookie milkshake? Toss a few Oreos or Famous Chocolate Wafers into the blender.

September 12th is National Chocolate Milkshake Day, and here’s a shocker: This milkshake started life as an alcoholic drink, along the lines of eggnog The first printed reference dates to 1885, and it wasn’t until 1922 that the ice cream milkshake was born.

There are 19 more milkshake recipes below.

> Here’s the history of the milkshake.

> The differences between a float, ice cream soda and shake.
 
 
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT-BOURBON MILKSHAKE

We adapted this recipe from Gelson’s Markets, who adapted it from The New York Times.

The recipe is a hybrid: the alcohol of the early days with the ice cream shake we know and love.

 
Note that your shake will be more creamy if you use custard-based ice cream (one made with eggs, like Ben & Jerry’s, Häagen-Dazs, and Talenti, among others).
 
Ingredients Per Serving

 
Preparation

1. COMBINE the milk, Bourbon, Nutella, and malted milk powder in a blender. Blend on medium speed until the Nutella is incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

2. ADD the ice cream and blend until creamy. Pour into a chilled sundae glass.
 
 
19 MORE MILKSHAKE RECIPES

Some of these shakes have alcohol, and some don’t. But you can add spirits to any recipe.

While chocolate, coffee, or strawberry liqueurs work nicely when they match the ice cream flavor, we particularly like Irish cream liqueur.

In addition to the delicious flavor, it adds to the creaminess of the shake.

 
Plus

September is National Fruits & Veggies Month, a holiday established by the USDA to bring greater attention to the health benefits of eating fruits and vegetables.

The message is not only to “make the most of summer produce while it’s still available,” but to integrate more fruits and vegetables into your daily meals. It’s pretty easy: Here’s how.

So who’s tops in produce?
 
 
WHAT AMERICANS ARE BUYING

The Fresh Produce Association shared these results from a trade industry survey, The Packer’s Fresh Trends 2022. The study reflected consumer behavior in 2021.

More specifically, it surveyed consumers on their most-purchased fruits and vegetables.

 
 
CHANGES FROM LAST YEAR

The chart below lists the most frequently-purchased fruits and vegetables in 2021 in the U.S. What’s new?

 
O.K., maybe that’s not so exciting unless you’re a grocery store produce manager. But take a look:

Where do your favorites rank on the list?

[1] What are America’a Top 20 fruits and veggies? Apples are the #4 fruit (photo © Envy Apples | Facebook).

Broccoli[/caption]
[2] Broccoli is #6 on the vegetables list (photo © Burpee).

[1] What’s for brunch? A bagel with citrus cream cheese and papaya ribbons. The recipe is below (photo © Southern Selects).

[2] There are numerous subspecies of Carica papaya, demonstrating different sizes, shapes, and flavor nuances (photo © Alleksana | Pexels).

[3] A shorter, rounder variety (photo © Little Plant | Unsplash).

[4] The papaya “tree” isn’t a tree, but a giant herb—just like the banana. The green fruits turn yellow when ripe (photo © Brooks Tropicals).

[5] Green papaya salad. Here’s the recipe (photo © Rasa Malaysia).

[6] A papaya boat can be a first course, or served with yogurt or cottage cheese for breakfast. Here’s the recipe (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

September is National Papaya Month and it’s the weekend, so how about something outside the box: papaya on a bagel instead of smoked salmon? Lemon cream cheese brings the right counterpoint so that the papaya is right at home on the bagel of your choice.

The recipe, Papaya Ribbons with Lemon Cream Cheese on Toasted Bagels, was created by Southern Selects, a grower of premium products, as a creative way to use its papayas.

> The history of bagels.

> The history of cream cheese.

> The history of the papaya is below.

> There are more delicious papaya recipes below.
 
 
RECIPE: PAPAYA (OR MANGO) RIBBONS WITH LEMON CREAM CHEESE ON TOASTED BAGELS

We didn’t have a ripe avocado when we made this recipe, but we didn’t miss it.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CUT the papaya (or mango) in half, scoop out and discard the seeds. Slice the halves into 4 sections lengthwise. Trim the skin from the flesh.

2. USE a vegetable peeler or a mandolin to thinly slice the papaya flesh into ribbons.

3. CUT the flesh of halved avocado into thin slices. Cut the onion into thin slices and place both on the side.

4. ZEST the lemon with a grater. Combine the lemon zest, cream cheese, and honey. Toast the bagels. When the bagels are ready…

5. SPREAD the cream cheese mixture on one side of the toasted bagel and top with sliced papaya and then avocado. You can add a couple drops of lemon juice on top of the bagel, or serve it with a lemon wedge.
 
 
MORE PAPAYA RECIPES

Savory Recipes

Today, the fruit can be found in a variety of cultures and their foods, ranging from savory to sweet. Note that you can easily substitute papaya for mango in most recipes.

 
Sweet Recipes

 
Cocktails

 
 
 
PAPAYA HISTORY & USES

The papaya, Carica Papaya L., is believed to have originated in southern Mexico and eastern Central America. Also known as the pawpaw*, the papaya is one of the 22 species in the genus Carica of the family Caricaceae, a family of flowering plants in the order Brassicales. (If that sounds familiar, see footnote †).

The name arrives from ababai, a word in the Carib language of South America.

It may represent the fusion of two or more species of Carica that are native to Mexico and Central America [source].

The papaya was first domesticated in Mesoamerica, in the area of modern-day southern Mexico and Central America. By the time the Spanish arrived, in 1529, the papaya had already spread throughout Central America and into South America.

Spanish invaders greatly enjoyed the salmon-orange-colored fruit and planted it throughout the Caribbean and South America. The Spanish then introduces it to Asia via the Philippines. It spread to India, and eventually to Europe.

By the 17th Century, Dutch and Portuguese colonists had brought papaya to Africa and then onto the Far East, where it became an integral part of the cuisines of Southeast Asia [source].

By the 19th century, the fruit was being cultivated in all of the world’s tropical regions [source].

And why not: The succulent fruit, moderately sweet, has those special qualities that say “tropical!” even if you were blindfolded and given a bite.

The fruit became popular for breakfast and green salads, pies, not to mention confections, juice, pie, sherbet, and other desserts. You can also toss halves on the grill, or add them to skewers.

 
Like the banana, the papaya is botanically a berry. It may look like it grows from a tall tree, but both papaya and banana are the fruits of an herb.

In 1932, Papaya King, a New York City hot dog stand, was the first to start what became a papaya juice craze. It’s still around, replicated by other mini chains such as Gray’s Papaya and Papaya Dog.

In 2020, India produced 43% of the world supply of papayas [source].

Papaya (is the third most cultivated tropical crop worldwide [source].

*Among other names for papaya are mamao, melon zapote, and papayo. But wait: Papaya is also known as papaw in Australia and other parts of the world. However, in the U.S., a pawpaw is not a papaya but an indigenous, mango-shaped fruit.

†Brassicaceae (brah-si-KAY-see-ay), a high-antioxidant Brassicaceae family of flowering plants, was formerly called the Cruciferae and is sometimes called the Brassicas. cruciferous vegetables, mustard family, or cabbage family. The vegetables are nutritional powerhouses, packed with potent, cancer-fighting phytonutrients. Members include arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, horseradish/wasabi, kale, kohlrabi, mizuna, mustard greens, radish, rapeseed/canola, rapini, rutabaga, tatsoi, turnips, and watercress, among others.

‡Carib or Kari’nja is a Cariban language spoken by the Kalina people (Caribs) of South America. It is spoken by around 7,400 people mostly in Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, and Brazil.