Amore amaro

Aylin Öney Tan - aylinoneytan@yahoo.com

Love is bitter… No doubt about it! But one has to admit, there is a certain sweetness in love. For me, the most fitting word for love is in the Italian language: Amore. It reminds me of the bitter-sweet taste of love, and I find “amore” very similar to “amaro,” the bitter-sweet Italian digestive, and not by just mere similarity of the sound. Strangely, they fall to the same compartment in my mind.

The world of “amari” is a vast chapter in the Italian drink world. They are greatly appreciated not only for their haunting taste, but also for their medicinal qualities. Essentially, an amaro is an herbal liqueur that aims to balance the body and the functions of the liver. Anything can go in an amaro: Herbs, roots, tree bark, spices, flowers, peels or pits of fruits, or even mushrooms. The variety in the world of “amari” is unbelievably rich. Every single amaro is different in flavor, though they all bear the bond of sweetness and bitterness. That I also find similar with love; every single love is different, but at the end they are all very similar, at least in the aftertaste.

Coming back to the variations in the bitter digestives, the tastes differ depending on the main herbs, roots or spices used. Plants like gentian, angelica, cardoon and the cinchona tree are very much favored; so are aromatic herbs like sage, bay laurel, wild thyme, mint and menthol. Citrusy notes can be obtained either by using peel of citron, bergamot, Seville orange or from lemony herbs like melissa (lemon balm) or cedrina (lemon verbena). Spices like cinnamon, cassia or pepper add hotness; anise, fennel, eucalyptus or licorice gives a cooling effect. Usually a combination of dozens of ingredients is used to make a bitter digestive, often with recipes that are kept secret. Sometimes, a very expensive ingredient like saffron goes in. There is even a truffle-based digestive, rightly named Tartufo.

Sometimes, it is honestly straight-forward, like the artichoke-based Cynar or Carciofo. Like love, an amaro can be immensely complicated, or can be simply pure. The potency range is also amazing. The alcohol content can vary greatly; so can the sugar content. Love can also vary in taste. It can be cloyingly sweet, or it can be extremely bitter to a level that it is not edible or, if compared with amaro, not potable anymore. Like amaro, it can cure you, or if consumed in excess, or in better words, if you’re too consumed in it, it may make you sick.

Amore is amaro indeed. Enjoy Valentine Day with a glass of bitter and your sweetheart, keeping in mind the bitterness is essential to enjoy sweetness better.