Le Vie della Zagara: Limone di Siracusatikichris

A fertile coastal plain stretching between the mountains and the sea with plenty of sea air and consistent year-round sunlight make conditions right for growing Limone di Siracusa, aka Syracuse lemons – some of the juiciest and zestiest on the market. Such conditions add up to a gorgeous place to visit too. The last of the low hanging PGI fruits picked along my journey across Sicily, here’s why I’m a sucker for the aroma and flavour of this mighty if diminutive squirt!

So I’ve been making a fuss in this series about how great it is to eat Sicilian citrus. But the use of these fruits – most particularly Syracuse lemons – in high-end perfumes and a range of other scented products is a big deal too. Just think about how many luxury and everyday items you encounter daily that have the scent of a lemon. In addition to the actual lemons you buy (especially if you shop at Tesco or Waitrose), there’s a good chance you come across Syracuse lemons on a very regular basis across a wide variety of items.

90% of all lemons from Sicily are from Syracuse and – as I witnessed firsthand during a tour of facilities of organic producers, Campisi Italia, guided by Dr Fabio Moschella, President of the Consorzio dell’IGP Limone di Siracusa – a whole lot of lemons consumed throughout Europe come from Sicily.

Still, you can’t beat how a lemon can up the flavour of so many foods, and such is definitely the case when enjoying the traditional cuisine of Syracuse. A lunch hosted by the Consorzio dell’IGP Limone di Siracusa at Agriturismo Pozzo di Mazza was as fine a feast as I could have imagined and one of the best meals I had during my trip. From salads to main courses and through to dessert – there’s hardly a dish lemons can’t enhance. I only had lunch at Pozzo di Mazza, but a snoop about the grounds of this 19th century working farm suggested it’s a lovely place to stay. Everybody there was really friendly too. Find out more at pozzodimazza.com.