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Small green and orange chinotto fruits beside a leafy twig on a ceramic plate.

Chinotto fruit

Chinotto is a small bitter citrus fruit used in Italian sweet preparations, with a distinctive local tradition around Savona.

What it is
Small bitter citrus fruit
Character
Fragrant, thick peel; green to orange
Look for
Chinotto di Savona

Types and preparations

In syrup

Characteristics
Prepared in sweet syrup

Candied

Characteristics
A confectionery preparation

In Maraschino

Characteristics
Prepared with the liqueur
In syrupCandiedIn Maraschino
CharacteristicsPrepared in sweet syrupA confectionery preparationPrepared with the liqueur

Sweet preparations from a bitter fruit

The Savona Presidium describes a careful sequence of brining, hand turning to remove the bitter outer peel and progressively sweeter syrup. These are preparations of the fruit, not a claim that every chinotto soft drink uses the same local harvest or method.

Try it in the kitchen

Savona chinotto is prepared in syrup, candied and with Maraschino. Try a little candied chinotto beside a plain sponge cake. The bitter fresh fruit differs from a small sweet orange.

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