Chinotto ∗ The great guide to fruit, trees and drinks

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Citrus myrtifolia var. Citrus aurantium
• Synonym: soft drink
• Genus: Citrus plants (Citrus)
• Growth type: tree or shrub
• Growth height: 80 cm to 200 cm
• Origin: Southeast Asia, China
• Fruit: tangerine-shaped
• Taste: bitter
• Flower: white, fragrant
• Flowering time: repeatedly flowering
• Leaf: triangular, evergreen, fragrant
• Hardiness: not hardy
• Use: container plant, drink, treat

fruit

Chinotto trees are among the most beautiful citrus plants that spread Mediterranean flair on balconies and terraces north of the Alps. Evergreen, decorative leaves sit in an imbricated manner, overlapping one another on the stiffly upright branches. In spring, 2 cm large, white flowers unfold in several blooms. Leaves and blossoms have an aromatic scent and arouse anticipation of the fruits. Older specimens bear flowers and fruit at the same time. The following properties characterize a Chinotto fruit:

• Size and shape: similar to a tangerine or small bitter orange
• Color orange
• Arrangement: individually or in groups
• Flesh: dry, with or without seeds
• Taste: bitter to tart-sweet

The chinotto fruit is not suitable for fresh consumption. That changes as soon as you squeeze freshly harvested fruit and enjoy the juice, as the following video shows:

This is what the Chinotto fruit tastes like

Ingredients soft drink

Usually the term chinotto used as a designation for a soft drink. This raises the question of the ingredients. The following table provides an overview:

Furthermore, Chinotto Fizzy contains: carbon dioxide, a pinch of salt, lemon juice and various plant extracts. You can read interesting background information about the Chinotto drink in the following section.

Chinotto drink

The Chinotto soft drink was once touted as Italy's answer to Coca-Cola. The bitter shower could not achieve worldwide fame. After all, Chinotto has established itself as a trend drink. Leading the way is the Italian brand Sanpellegrino, which has been exporting Chinotto all over the world since the 1980s. These properties make the Chinotto drink an export hit:

• taste: slightly bitter, mildly fruity, aromatic thanks to the addition of natural plant extracts
• Effect: sparkling and refreshing with little carbon dioxide
• color: brown
• advantages: thirst-quenching, low-calorie, without alcohol or caffeine
• use: pure as a thirst quencher, in rum drinks as a cola substitute, with vermouth as a digestif, with gin or bourbon as a long drink.

Chinotto Fizzy gets its brown color from the addition of caramel as a natural sweetener. Which plant extracts create the unmistakable aroma is not revealed. After all, well-known manufacturers such as Sanpellegrino or Lurisia let it be known that more than 20 different herbs combine to create a harmonious pleasurable experience.

Process chinotto

Candied Chinotto are another export hit from Italy. The boom was triggered when the first manufactory for the treat opened in Liguria. Chinotto jam made from fresh fruit is very popular as a coveted souvenir from a holiday in Italy on the Ligurian coast. A sip of Chinotto lemonade from Lurisia brings back memories of relaxing days on the Mediterranean. You can prepare all three delicacies yourself. Be inspired by these recipes:

Candied chinotto

The entire process takes five days. In preparation, the fresh chinottos are washed. The thick shell is pricked with a needle. Cut the fruit into bite-sized pieces no larger than 1.5cm to 2cm. Proceed with these steps:

1. Stir the sugar into the boiling water in a ratio of 1:1 (500 g of sugar per 500 ml of water)
2. Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved and allow to cool slightly
3. Place the fruit in a saucepan and pour over the warm sugar water (the fruit must be covered)
4. Cover the pot and leave for a day
5. After 24 hours, drain the fruit and bring the sugar solution to the boil
6. Pour lukewarm sugar water over the fruit again and leave covered for a day
7. Repeat the process for two more days
8. on the 5th Drain the candied fruit in a colander
9. Dry on a wire rack

Traditionally, candied chinottos are marinated in maraschino liqueur.

Chinotto jam recipe

To prepare Chinotto jam, you need 500 grams of ripe organic fruit, 500 grams of sugar, a saucepan, hand blender and screw-top jars. This delicious recipe is so easy:

1. Wash the chinottos in hot water, cut into wedges and remove the seeds
2. Cut into strips, reserving the juice
3. Put the chinotto strips with the juice in the saucepan and fill up with water
4. Bring to the boil and simmer for 60 minutes until the fruit strips are soft
5. Crush the fruit strips with a hand blender
6. Weigh the fruit pulp and mix with the sugar in a 1:1 ratio

Boil the chinotto and sugar mixture for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour the hot jam into screw-top jars, close tightly and allow to cool upside down.

Chinotto lemonade recipe

Note on the list of ingredients: 3 ripe organic chinotto fruits, 20 ml lemon juice, 0.5 l water and 400 g sugar. How to conjure up your own Chinotto lemonade:

1. Wash chinottos
2. Grate a little from the peel
3. Halve and squeeze the fruit
4. Pour juice into a container
5. Boil the water and stir in the sugar
6. Stir in the chinotto zest and lemon juice
7. Add the chinotto juice, stirring constantly
8. Pour the syrup into a bottle and let it steep for a day

Serve the Chinotto lemonade in style with San Pellegrino mineral water. Put a shot of syrup in a glass and fill up the concentrate with still or sparkling water.

digression

Chinotto means 'little Chinese'

Cultivate Chinotto trees

Have courage when purchasing a pretty Chinotto tree. Care is easy to manage, even for inexperienced hands, if you heed the following tips:

watering and fertilizing

As a sun worshiper, the Chinotto plant is surprisingly economical to use. Water the plant when the substrate has dried noticeably down to the deeper layers. You can use either normal tap water or collected water as irrigation water rainwater use. From May to August enter a liquid citrus fertilizer into the irrigation water according to the manufacturer's instructions.

hibernate

You can use a chinotto sapling like a Overwinter lemon trees. Ideally, preparation begins in the fall. How to do it right:

• Water more sparingly in autumn
• Place the Chinotto bucket on wood in front of the protective house wall
• Put in before the first frost
• Bright and cool winters with temperatures between 5° and 12° Celsius
• Suitable winter quarters: cold winter garden, bright stairwell, greenhouse with frost guard

In the winter quarters, the water requirement drops to a minimum. Experience has shown that a Chinotto tree does not need any water at all between November and April. Waterlogging is the most common cause of failed hibernation. Only water the plant when the substrate is half dry. A useful tool is a moisture indicator, whose long probe in the substrate determines whether there is a need for watering or not.

To cut

You should not cut back your Chinotto tree. Considering the slow growth, you will be happy to note every inch of growth. Professional pruning is limited to occasional thinning out of dead branches. The best time is in February, when the hibernation is coming to an end. If branches protrude from the crown, nothing speaks against a local pruning. For the perfect cut, place the scissors just above a leaf, a bud or a sleeping eye at.

Popular Varieties

Various Chinotto varieties with individual attributes can be discovered in specialist shops:

• canaliculate: Citrus aurantium hybrid with ribbed citrus fruits.
• Chinotto 'Grande': grafted as a standard on a 130 cm high stem.
• crispifolia: remarkable citrus plant with elegantly wavy leaves.
• Boxwood Leaf Chinotto: Rarity with rounded leaves.

FAQ

Is the consumption of Chinotto allowed during pregnancy?

Chinotto is a harmless soft drink during pregnancy. Hazardous substances such as alcohol or caffeine are absent. In contrast to tonic water or bitter lemon, the brown shower contains no quinine. At least that applies to trusted brands such as Sanpellegrino, Lurisia, Neri or Polara. Caution is advised with no-name products that do not contain real chinotto fruit juice, but only consist of sugar water and artificial flavorings.

Is Chinotto Fizz healthy?

Chinotto is a healthy thirst quencher for the whole family. The main component of the shower is the vitamin-rich juice of the citrus fruit. A look at the other ingredients reveals that it is an alcohol-free soft drink without caffeine or quinine. Instead of granulated sugar, caramel gives the drink a pleasant sweetness and the brown color. With 56 calories per 100 milliliters, the energy value is comparable to fruit juice or whole milk.

Which location is right for Chinotto trees?

The ideal location is full sun, warm and sheltered from the wind. Your Chinotto tree likes to stay on the south-facing balcony from spring to autumn. Every minute of sunshine increases the sweetness of the citrus. Therefore, when choosing a location, please make sure that no shadow falls on the citrus plant. Ideally, place the pot on a pedestal. Before the first frost, place the Chinotto tree in bright winter quarters with 5° to 12° Celsius.

Which fertilizer is suitable for Chinotto plants?

A citrus fertilizer with an ideal NPK composition of 20+5+15 is recommended for the nutrient supply. Furthermore, the fertilizer should contain trace elements such as iron, magnesium, zinc, manganese and copper. Citrus fertilizer is always administered with the irrigation water from May to August. For a perfect absorption of the nutrients, please water before and after with clear water.