Sometimes they come back: the Salò cedar back on the table
The Salò cedar, cultivated since the 15th century on the Brescia shores of Lake Garda, and from here to Liguria, returns to Italian tables. Its absence lasted from the second half of the nineteenth century, that is since the local citrus industry entered into crisis, first due to some plant diseases and then due to competition from the regions of Southern Italy. Also known as Roman Cedar, the plant is similar to that of the lemon, with numerous but small thorns. Despite the slow development, the fruits are quite large and have a thick skin. Due to its intense aroma, it is particularly suitable for flavoring sweets, preparing delicious candied fruit, excellent liqueurs (whose tradition dates back to ancient times) and the precious cedar water.
Considered the progenitor of all citrus fruits, cedar has very ancient origins in the regions between India and Burma. Widespread already in the first century BC. in the Mediterranean basin, it was appreciated and used for its medicinal qualities and for its low perishability compared to fruits of the same family. The quantity of vitamin C, mineral salts, flavonoids, calcium and sodium, in fact, is very high, compared to a minimum caloric intake. For human health this means a high antioxidant, purifying and digestive value, as well as an excellent ability to regulate intestinal activity.
It is a crop made possible since 1600, thanks to the incessant work of men and women who, over the centuries, have wanted to challenge nature in Salò and bring citrus groves even where no one would have ever imagined them. A success, that of the cedar of Salò, which also allowed its export to Liguria and Provence.
Just like lemons, this variety of cedar has always suffered from low temperatures, but the mild climate of the region around Lake Garda is ideal for its proper growth. To give an example, the lemons of Garda - cousins of our cedar - for centuries have been unique in terms of agriculture, representing the northernmost citrus cultivation in the world. A miracle? No, a careful choice of farmers and builders after a first import by doctors and merchants: the presence of waterways, the rock and cypresses behind as a barrier to the wind, the exposure to the sun, the right distance from lake, the construction of terracing.
In conclusion, the restoration of the Salò cedar is also a cultural victory. It is precisely from these shores that, starting from the 1950s, the drink destined to become an icon in Italian homes was launched: the Tassoni cedrata. Originally (around the second half of the 1700s) the company was an apothecary laboratory based in Salò. Over the years it was first a pharmacy and then a distillery until it became, in more recent times, the home of the famous bottle based on delicious and intense natural aromas.
