Amarelli

Licorice root grows particularly well on the Ionian Calabrian coast, favored by a local micro-climate. Glycyrrhiza glabra is a leguminous plant, well-known for 35 centuries. A pleasant sweet/bitter juice with medicinal properties (it is good for the throat, digestive and respiratory tracts) can be extracted from its roots.

Many licorice factories sprang up in Calabria during the 18th century. Among these was Amarelli, one of the few that survived the centuries. In 1731, the Amarelli family, already armed with two centuries of experience, established their center in the fourteenth-century fortress still used today.

They transformed the Glycyrrhiza glabra roots into licorice juice and then into sticks, under the guidance of the mastro liquiriziaio. Today, technology has been added to the family's arsenal. The roots are pulverized mechanically, then processed in a series of computerized stages. The role of the mastro liquiriziaio is still crucial in deciding the degree of concentration and solidification of the licorice. When the dense black paste has been transformed into the required shapes, it is polished by blasts of steam.

A vast variety of formats and flavorings are packaged in elegant little metal boxes decorated with images chosen from the family archives. This century-old brand can be purchased either at the factory outlet or at specialty shops in Italy.

Licorice in old-world tins:
Bianconeri - Natural mint-flavored licorice with a chewy center and a white mint coating.
Morette Arancia - Small, mulberry-shaped and slightly chewy licorice flavored with orange.
Rombetti - Small, diamond-shaped bits with the aroma of anise. Pure licorice.
Spezzatina - Small, slightly rounded, crunchy bits. Pure licorice
Chicci - Small round pieces of pure licorice flavored with anise.

Museo della Liquirizia Giorgio Amarelli
Contrada Amarelli, SS 106 Jonica
87067 Rossano (CS)
Calabria
Italy
tel: +39-0983-511219
fax: +39-0983-510512
Original proprietor: Fortunato Amarelli
Established: 1731
Licorice production, retail shop and museum.

Current proprietor: Pina Amarelli