Liquorice: black gold in Calabria
Liquorice grows in many parts of Europe and Asia, but it is abundant in Calabria – its yellow flowers spread across the sun-kissed Calabrian countryside like wildfire, attracting a host of bees and other wildlife. Liquorice loves the clay soils in this part of Italy, and because the ground is so mineral-rich, the plants are able to produce large amounts of glycyrrhizic acid. Where other liquorice growers around the world need to supplement the root with additives and sugar, Calabrian liquorice is pure and natural – packed full of distinctive flavour. Simply put, it’s the best liquorice in the world.
Although there are other producers, Amarelli in Rossano Calabro is synonymous with liquorice in Calabria and around the world. The Amarelli family have been in the liquorice business since the sixteenth century – they were the first to industrialise a method of extracting juice from the root and the first to open their own factory in 1731. In the early days the liquorice roots would be ground down by a huge millstone, before being boiled, reduced and worked into bootlaces, marble-shaped sweets and little square pellets called spezzatine. Liquorice was very much valued as a stimulant, and these chewable items would come in iconic red metal cases, designed for labourers and heavy lifters who needed an energy boost during the day. Even soldiers in the army were given tins of spezzatine to sustain them over long marches. The equipment at the Amarelli factory in Rossano Calabro is rather more modern today, but the process remains the same – Liquirizia di Calabria has been PDO-protected since 2011, meaning it has to be made via the traditional methods, before being exported all across the world.
As for why Calabrian liquorice remains popular, it all comes back to purity. Because Calabrian liquorice contains high levels of glycyrrhizic acid, it has the purest flavour of any liquorice in the world. On top of that, it boasts remarkable health benefits that the locals swear by. Many of the medicinal uses that go back into antiquity can be traced back to the fact that liquorice is a powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant, and has antiviral properties too. Amarelli continues to make liquorice lozenges because people swear by them for treating coughs and sore throats. Supposedly some locals still chew on raw, unprocessed liquorice root and even use it to brush their teeth.
Alongside all the bootlaces and spezzatine, Amarelli also makes plenty of other liquorice-based confectionery. Liquorice and chocolate is a much-loved Calabrian delicacy, and you can buy bars that mix liquorice with both white and dark chocolate, as well as gianduja. There are a variety of liquorice liqueurs – including a liquorice grappa that certainly packs a punch – and also beers, liquorice pasta, salt and bathroom products like shampoo and toothpaste.
