What is chinotto?
Chinotto ( Citrus x myrtifolia ) is both the common term of an arboreal plant belonging to the Family of the Rutaceae, and the noun used to indicate its fruits, but also the name of a famous carbonated soft drink based on the latter.
Raw, the fruits of the chinotto are not considered entirely edible, not because they are poisonous, but because of the deeply bitter taste.
The quinotto grows more or less throughout the Mediterranean basin and in Italy it is particularly widespread in the north-west and south-west.
Nutritional properties
Nutritional properties of chinotto drink
Chinotto is a sweet drink rich in water and sugar, almost devoid of any other nutrient. Traces of other molecules are noted, but none of them is significantly contained. The average portion is about 150-250ml / day, since the sugars contained in it are frankly excessive.
To prevent the intake of chinotto compromising the nutritional balance, it would be necessary to reduce the intake of fruit, vegetables and milk but, since these foods have a very important nutritional function, this is an inadvisable precaution.
The traditional chinotto does not lend itself to the diet against type 2 diabetes mellitus, overweight and hypertriglyceridemia. Today light versions are available, which contain synthetic sweeteners. However, remember that during pregnancy and lactation it is advisable not to exceed 7 grams of sweeteners a day. In this case it can be taken without negatively affecting caloric intake and metabolism.
The recommended dose is also necessary to prevent the chinotto from negatively affecting the teeth and the digestive tract. All carbonated beverages tend to be acidic and can harm the health of tooth enamel and gastric mucosa. Excess is therefore not recommended in case of tooth weakness, gastritis, gastro-duodenal ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux disease and hiatal hernia.
The chinotto fruit has some digestive properties and many think that even the drinks that contain it can have the same effect. This is only partially true; in fact, the drink tends to stimulate the production of gastric acids and this means that any digestive effect only concerns hypochloridria disorders. If the production of gastric juices tends to be excessive, the opposite effect is obtained.
Uses and Recipes
Uses of the chinotto fruit
Chinotto fruits are used in the food and cosmetic sectors. In fact, they are the essential basis for flavoring many bitters (high-alcohol drinks), such as Campari, and certain carbonated soft drinks such as the homonymous “chinotto”.
The essence is also available in the form of an isolated aroma or pure essential oil, to be used in pastry recipes.
With whole slices of chinotto fruits you can get candied fruit, jams and syrups.
The aroma of chinotto is also widespread in the synthesis of perfumes and deodorants, both for the person and for the environment.
Description
Citrus description
The chinotto is a citrus tree that grows up to a maximum of three meters in height. The foliage is compact and the stem is solid. It is a very rustic plant, without thorns, which produces small green leaves, white flowers and fruits very similar to the more well-known oranges.
Description of the fruit
The chinotto fruits are about the size of a fist (about 150 g in weight and 10 cm in diameter), with a slightly irregular orange rind (typical appearance of citrus fruits), layered in an outer skin (colored orange and rich in essential oils ) and internal albedo (a kind of white sponge).
The pulp, very rich in water, is orange and organized in segments (wrapped one by one in a protective membrane) that contain small seeds.
The smell of chinotto is extremely characteristic; the molecules mainly responsible for the bouquet are essential oils, abundantly present in the skin and to a lesser extent in the pulp.
The taste of the fruit is sour, typically bitter; the flavor is unique in its kind, even if it resembles bitter orange.
Description of the chinotto drink
The chinotto drink is sweet and bitter, translucent black or in any case brown, frankly carbonated and with a characteristic odor. In Malta, the chinotto drink is called "kinnie".
Botany
Botanical hints on chinotto
Of the genus Citrus and myrtifolia species, the chinotto is most probably the result of a parallel evolution of bitter orange ( aurantium species). In turn, C. x aurantium is a very ancient hybrid between grapefruit ( Citrus maxima ) and mandarin ( Citrus reticulata ).
The original provenance is probably Eastern (China); the chinotto reached the Italian peninsula only in the VI-VII century AD.
Typically Mediterranean, the chinotto is a tree that grows abundantly in north-western Italy (in the Ligurian province of Savona and Tuscany of Livorno), in south-western Italy (throughout Calabria and Sicily), in southern France, on the island of Malta and Libya.
It is suitable for ornamental purposes and does not suffer from vascular culture.
Being a citrus fruit, chinotto produces esperid type fruits.
Etymology
Etymological elements of chinotto
The chinotto owes its scientific name ( myrtifolia ) to the characteristic shape of its leaves, small and lanceolate, incredibly similar to that of the myrtle (Family Myrtaceae, Genus Myrtus and species communis, a typically Mediterranean shrub that has nothing to do with the genus Citrus ).
The "chinotto" drink takes its name from the fruit of C. x myrtifolia, with which it is produced.
