A bergamot is a citrus fruit; a type of bitter orange, grown mainly in Italy. The name “bergamot,” somewhat confusingly, is also used to refer to a few types of bee balm, an herb in the mint family native to North America, which is named after the citrus due to the resemblance in its scent. The citrus is, for whatever reason, nearly impossible to find fresh, to the extent that I had never even thought to look for one.

I did not dumpster a bergamot, but did acquire one as the result of the complex chain of interpersonal relationships through which I acquire most things. But since I had only one fruit (sold with a red band around it, to distinguish it from mere lemons), I needed to find the recipe which best showcased the bergamot. I considered mixing it with lemon or blood orange, but after reading this quote, I knew I had to taste it by itself:

“My first experience with Bergamot Orange was several years ago with a simple lunch at Oliveto in Oakland, then still owned and managed by the master chef Paul Bertolli. I was with my boss, who, although springing for an impromptu lunch, was quite cheap with her money. I felt all I could order for my meal was a simple entree, with the salmon being the perfect solution. But then she was feeling particularly generous and offered for us each to have dessert as well. The Bergamot sorbet was a revelation; one of those few moments in one’s entire life when a seemingly simple food could completely astound and astonish you. Being surprised, and pleasantly pleased, by the additon of black pepper to a citrus sorbet, I was told that, no, there was only Bergamot juice (and I assume a bit of sugar) used in the concoction. The black pepper taste (not simply the “bitter” taste everyone describes) is the beguiling essence of Bergamot, unlike anything else I had ever tasted. It was so truly delicious and astounding and overwhelming all at once that I could have believed there really is a God. ”

~an anonymous commenter on hungrycravings.com, as quoted by rworange on Chowhound

Sounds like I was about to make a vegetarian ortolan. Black pepper is excellent, and a flavor I’ve never detected in bergamot extracts or flavorings. The fresh fruit is intensely aromatic, and the peppery quality becomes immediately apparent once it is zested. My apartment smelled like bergamot for hours.

In addition to having never eaten fresh bergamot, I have never made sorbet. I found a basic recipe on Rose Cottage and quartered it. It involves boiling sugar and water (I used a bit over 1/3 cup sugar and 2/3 cups water) for three minutes, then removing it from the heat and allowing the zest (I used a julienne peeler, for the sake of convenience) of the bergamot to steep in it as it cools. Once it was cool, I added the juice and strained it into a pie plate to freeze. For the first few hours as ice crystals were forming I periodically stirred it, then let it freeze overnight.

The result is intensely floral, like jasmine. The peppery quality has become more subtle. It is incredible how decadent a single orange can become with the help of nothing but a sugar syrup.