Sambuca
Sambuca is usually a colorless, clear liqueur with 38 to 42 percent alcohol by volume. It is flavored with anise , star anise , liquorice and other spices. The liqueur originally comes from Lazio .
Although Sambuca is an aniseed liqueur, it is viewed as an independent aniseed drink . Therefore, special legal regulations apply to Sambuca. According to Regulation (EC) No. 110/2008 (Spirits Regulation) , which essentially focuses on the definitions of spirits and divides them into different categories, it must contain at least 350 g of sugar per liter.
It is possible that the name "Sambuca" comes from the Italian word Sambuco for elderberry . The medicinal use of elderberry as a folk remedy has a long tradition in Italy. The origin of the name is also doubted because Sambuca does not necessarily contain elderberries. There are other possible explanations, e.g. B. the descent from the "Sambuco" called ships of the Saracens , which imported spices from the Orient in Italy in the Middle Ages .
Sambuca is usually drunk as a digestif , often con la mosca , "with a fly", that is, with added coffee beans . The beans are chewed while drinking and their bitter taste contrasts the sweetness of the liqueur. Especially outside of Italy it is common to serve sambuca flambéed .
A legend provides the following reason for using coffee beans: An old lady from Italy burned the sambuca for the first time centuries ago, and when she wanted to serve it to her family, three flies, attracted by the sweetness, perched on the glass. This happened repeatedly when the lady served her liquor. Therefore, three coffee beans are also served, and so that the "flies" are really dead, the sambuca is lit when serving, that is, the beans are roasted in the burning sambuca for a few seconds.
The most famous brands are Molinari, Antica and Il Santo.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Franz Brandl : Liqueurs . Südwest, Munich 2011, ISBN 978-3-517-08743-6 , pp. 55 ( limited preview in Google Book search).
- ↑ Regulation (EC) No. 110/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 January 2008 on the definition, description, presentation and labeling of spirits and the protection of geographical indications for spirits and the repeal of Regulation (EEC) No. 1576 / 89 .
- ↑ Gillian Riley: Elderflower and berries . sambuco, Sambucus nigra. In: The Oxford Companion to Italian Food . Oxford University Press, Oxford 2007, ISBN 978-0-19-860617-8 , pp. 170–171 (English, limited preview in Google Book Search).
- ↑ THE HISTORY OF SAMBUCA. (No longer available online.) In: molinari.it. Molinari SPA, archived from the original on July 18, 2012 ; Retrieved on July 31, 2012 (wrong according to this source): “What is certain is that they do not come from the“ Sambuco ”(elder) plant [...]. In the Sambuca, however, there is no trace of elder. ” Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ The Most Famous Italian Liquors | Italy. In: lifeinitaly.com. Retrieved July 31, 2012 (English, true according to this source): "Sambuca is made with star anise and white elder flowers."
