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Amaretto
Amaretto has both a rich taste as well as a very rich history. As time has gone on the popularity of Amaretto has grown tremendously. Even with its popularity many people are not aware of what exactly Amaretto is or where it is from. There are actually many uses for amaretto. Many people enjoy it in mixed drinks and many people use it for cooking. It really has many different aspects to it and we will go more into depth with some of these in this newsletter.
First of all, in order to really appreciate amaretto, knowing some of the history is a must. Many people have no idea of where the beginning of amaretto really came from, and if I do say so myself it is an amazing story. It actually is quite appropriate being Valentines day is rapidly approaching. Although the exact origin is an often debated subject I am going to fill you in with the two main ways that it is said that amaretto has been created. The first is that amaretto was originally created in Saronno, Italy by the Lazzaroni family. They have been credited with creating the amaretto cookies around 1786, then followed with the actual liqueur several years later in 1851.
Another much longer story states the Reina family, who has once been employed by the Lazzaroni family, knows the true story, and it has to do with love and art. In their version in 1525, a Soronno church commissioned an artist Bernardino Luini, one of Leonardo da Vinci's pupils, to paint their sanctuary. The church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, Luini needed to find a suitable model. He found a young widowed innkeeper who became his model and (in most versions) his lover. She decided to show her great appreciation and affection to Luini by making him a wonderful gift. Being her job did not give much money, she steeped apricot kernels in Brandy and presented the result to Luini who loved it. It is said that this concoction was the result in Disarrono Amaretto. They claim they have a secret recipe that has not changed from 1525 and that the story of Luini is their history.
Amaretto is actually a liqueur with an almond flavor, but surprisingly, it may or may not actually contain almonds. The common base of the liqueur is primarily made from apricot pits or sometimes almonds, and may contain many different added spices or flavorings. The name Amaretto is derived from the word amaro, an Italian term that means bitter. It was given to describe the taste that has been enhanced and sweetened through the addition of all the sweeteners and flavors. Some amaretto are much sweeter than others, just like anything else they each have their distinctive taste and they can vary a little bit.
Disarrono has a characteristic bittersweet almond taste, don't let this deceive you there is no almonds or nuts. As I mentioned earlier in the newsletter it is made from the apricot pits. Disarrono is very distinctive, simply by appearance. The amber liqueur is presented in a rectangular glass decanter designed by a craftsman from Murano. It is one of the most popular and well known of all amaretto.
The second well known would be the Lazzaroni amaretto. This amaretto is based on an infusion of macaroons, a process which imparts a "delicate almond/apricot flavor". Lazzaroni claims a story of a tale of a young couple blessed by the bishop as the origin of their generations-guarded family recipe, dating back to 1718; the amaretto still was not into production until 1851 like I had said in the previous story. There are many other brands as well but none have any stories quite like Disarrono or Lazzaroni.
Now that you know a little bit of history and some of the stories that make up some of the amazing amaretto. There is no better time to try it than now. I really hope that you enjoyed learning about amaretto, and I will leave you to decide what story you decide. Why not try it out, it is so versatile that your bound to find something that you really enjoy. There is numerous things that you can do with it. Here are some recipes to try....
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