Bergamot is a herb of the mint family with finely toothed, dark green leaves, used in perfumery, particularly in eau de Cologne. It has few culinary uses, but the lemon-scented leaves can be added to salads, tisanes and fruit cups. In many languages this is also a variety of pear, a type of barley sugar and a citrus fruit.
The bergamot is a small, yellow, slightly pear-shaped citrus fruit with very acidic flesh which is probably a hybrid of Seville orange (US: bitter orange) and sweet lime. The rind yields an essential oil used in perfumery, confectionary and marmalade. It is mostly cultivated in Calabria. The zest is used to flavour a tea which is a soothing, soporific bedtime drink. It is probably best known for its use in flavouring Earl Gray tea. The variety most commonly used is also known as bee balm or oswego tea. In many languages this is also a variety of pear, and a herb.
