- Region
- Europe
- Origin
- Calabria in southern Italy; probably arose as a cross between lime and bitter orange
- Traditions
- Folk magic and herbal magic
Europe · Food · № 10
Citrus bergamia
Food · Europe
Bergamot
Citrus bergamia
The peel yields bergamot oil, a fragrance in perfume and Earl Grey tea. The oil contains bergapten, which makes the skin sensitive to sunlight. Health claims are not well studied.
Safety notes
Unprocessed bergamot oil on the skin can cause blisters and pigment spots in the sun. Do not take essential oil internally unless the product is explicitly intended for food use. Traditional use is no proof of effect; consult a doctor or pharmacist if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, take medication or have a medical condition.
Cautions by tradition (1)
- Natural skin and hair care: Bergamot oil makes the skin strongly sensitive to sunlight (spots, burns): do not use on skin exposed to the sun, or choose bergapten-free oil.
Preparation
The peel as a flavouring in tea, baking and marmalade; the oil as a fragrance.
Use in traditions
The bergamot is a bitter citrus fruit grown almost exclusively in Calabria in southern Italy. In the 18th century the oil was a main ingredient of the original eau de Cologne. In Italian folk medicine the oil was used for fever and wounds.
Applications
Use by tradition
How different herbal traditions describe this herb. Amounts are traditional guidelines checked for obvious errors; they are not medical advice. For poisonous plants no dosage is given on purpose.
Natural skin and hair care
Attributed effects
Fresh citrus scent. Ordinary bergamot oil makes the skin highly sensitive to sunlight.
Preparation and amount
External: a few drops of bergamot oil as a scent in lotion and powder (see the recipes).
Caution: Bergamot oil makes the skin strongly sensitive to sunlight (spots, burns): do not use on skin exposed to the sun, or choose bergapten-free oil.
Folklore and herbal magic
Symbolic meanings from folk use and modern herbal magic. These are handed-down associations, not effects.
Abundance and money, deepens meditations, clairvoyant visions, friendship and love.
Herbal magic and rituals
Attributed effects
In herbal magic associated with success, money and a cheerful mood.
Preparation and amount
Bergamot is grown almost only in Calabria in southern Italy. Its oil was a main ingredient of the first eau de Cologne, made by Italians in Cologne in the eighteenth century, and gives Earl Grey tea its scent.
- Ways to prepare herbs
- Tea (infusion)Powder and kitchen
- Recipes
- Basic lotionBody powder