Genziana​, intense liquore: origins and curiosities
The Genziana is a plant that is born and grows from 1000 to 2500 meters above sea level, and in Italy it grows only in certain areas of the Alps and the central Apennines. With the roots of this plant excellent liqueurs are produced. Genziana is generally an intense and very aromatic liqueur .
THE PLANT
Genziana is a mountain plant. There are many varieties and it
can be annual, biennial or perennial. Today this plant is at high risk of extinction , and is, therefore, a protected species: it is strictly forbidden to harvest it. There are 400 varieties of
Genziana all over the world, but those widespread in Italy are much less. It is not easy to establish in which regions of the world this plant originated: there are so many species that each has its own characteristics and its own areas of diffusion. Today, Genziana can be found in all temperate regions of Europe, Asia and America, but some species also grow in North Africa,
Eastern Australia and New Zealand. In our Peninsula, Genzianas grow wild throughout the Alps, their ideal habitat. However, some varieties are also found in the Apennines, where the tradition of using this plant for infusions and liqueurs is strongly rooted in the habits of the popular classes.
PROPERTY This plant has always been widely used also in herbal medicine, thanks to its multiple properties, the infusion of Genziana roots is a fabulous basic element from which it is possible to obtain
products of excellent quality, genuine and highly digestive. In addition to being a very ancient herb, it is famous for the strong digestive, diuretic, tonic, antibiotic and carminative properties that have its roots.
THE LIQUORE
The variety that is used for our digestives and liqueurs is the Genziana lutea . This liqueur unites the Italian mountain territory: we find liqueurs based on Genziana root in different regions,
such as in Piedmont, Lazio, Abruzzo , Trentino. Genziana is a plant with a strongly bitter taste: it has always been used in history for its digestive properties,IN VARIOUS REGIONS WHERE Genziana GROWS SPONTANEOUSLY, LIQUEURS ARE PRODUCEDit is mentioned at the dawn of the Christian era by Discorides and it is certain that the name of this plant derives
from Genzio, the last king of Illyria, captured by the Romans, who discovered the plant and in particular the numerous beneficial effects of its roots. The traditionality of the product is documented in Piedmont, both by the custom of many Valsusine families in preparing this liqueur, and by a 1970 article published in the Journal of the Botanical Institute of the University of Turin, where the different uses of the Genziana plant are analyzed. in the
Susa Valley . As for the Apennines and Central Italy, it is rather known than in the mountain areas of the Reatino area, an area where Genziana grows spontaneously, the preparation of the
liqueur took place above all in the home, where it was used as a digestive or remedy against certain ailments. The Genziana bitter
is widespread especially in Abruzzo, where in its mountains since ancient times it was produced for domestic use, the typical drink was (and is) made up of a base of wine flavored with the roots of Genziana.
GENZIANA PGI
hen we talk about Genziana liqueur, we can think of many W Italian recipes, but the best known and codified are the classic Abruzzese one and the traditional one from Trentino Alto Adige , the only one to have obtained the IGP (Protected Geographical Indication) designation. The latter is certainly more complex and cumbersome because it does not involve the use of wine: in essence, what you get is a real distillate. The Abruzzo recipe instead involves the use of white wine which allows to obtain a liqueur, always with a high alcohol content, but much more drinkable, and above all, much easier to produce at home.