Cedrata, A Strange and Refreshing Beverage
Sunday, 10th May 2009 | 6 Comments
Last week I was introduced to a new (to me) and exciting beverage: cedrata, a syrupy sweet bottled drink made from the cedro (citron or etrog). These large yellow citrus fruits are native to the Middle East and were brought to Italy in the 10th century by the Arabs. They continue to thrive here, especially around Diamante in Calabria where they are ritually harvested for Sukkot in the autumn. Tassoni and other industrial producers of cedrata harvest in January and transform the citrons into a sweet beverage with a slight ginger aftertaste. I don’t know how I could have overlooked cedrata all these years. It was hugely popular in the ’70s and ’80s when it spawned some amazingly cheesy commercials (see below) that form a sort of trinity of corniness with Campari and Asti Spumanti spots. Enjoy!
May 21st, 2009 at 8:47 pm
That looks magnificent. Can we get it here in Rome?
May 26th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
ah, the memories. The commercial is tacky but the voice of Mina is still sparkingly beautiful!
May 27th, 2009 at 1:29 am
@Rob They should have it at the supermarket. Ive never looked but ive been told…
@Letizia the add is pure cheese but I love it!
July 20th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
It’s excellent in the Apertass cocktail — as the name suggests, Aperol and Tassini.
February 25th, 2011 at 5:33 pm
Although Cedrata is very common in Italy, it is not usually drink alone, but always with aperol or other alcholic drinks, to make coctails. This is why it is easier to get a bottle in a bar, rather than in a supermarket. Anyway there are many supermarkets that sell it in big bottles, like the Cedrata ARNONE
October 13th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
[...] Cedro (left) is quite similar to the lemon (right), but notice the difference in the pulp. Back in 1999, in Southern Italy, I just thought these were lemon on steroids. A girl picked one off the tree and used it to put in her hair… which is definitely one way to use it; however, I met a local Sicilian fruit vendor at the market this morning, and he told me that cedro is the right fruit for a refreshing drink called cedrata! [...]