Calabria's Black Gold: Liquorice from Rossano

From the depths of the earth to the big screen with the film Radici. L'oro nero della terra di Calabria (2022), directed by Fabrizio Bancale, the Liquorice of Calabria PDO tells an ancient, familiar and collective story.

A story that starts from an ideal territory for the growth of the precious root, spread in different areas of the region, but that in Rossano (Municipality of Corigliano-Rossano), province of Cosenza, encounters the passion of the Amarelli family, which for generations has been transforming it into the famous Amarelli Liquorice, one of the most renowned and appreciated products of excellence.

Let's discover all the secrets of Calabria's Liquorice, in particular Amarelli Liquorice!

There's no doubt about it: the best liquorice in the world originates here! We are talking about Liquorice of Calabria, specifically Liquorice of Rossano, which not by chance has been awarded the precious Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) over the years. Also known as the ‘’Black Gold of Calabria‘’, Calabrian liquorice is one of the most loved and internationally sold branded products, a true identity fruit of the land.

But what is so special about Calabrian liquorice? Its scientific name is Glychirrhiza glabra, known locally as ‘’cordàra‘’. It is a plant belonging to the leguminous family that is characterised by its succulent roots, from which all the unmistakable aroma of liquorice as we know it is extracted. Why is Liquorice from Rossano considered so valuable? Because of its mild climate and saline soil, an ideal habitat that favours its spontaneous emergence below 650 metres from the sea.

Known for thousands of years as a digestive remedy and blood pressure regulator, Calabrian liquorice is now the focus of the gourmet cuisine of the young Calabrian chef Daniela Forciniti, known precisely as the ‘’Liquorice Chef‘’ for having used it in so many innovative recipes, as well as in the more traditional liquorice liqueurs and desserts. 

The first liquorice factory in Calabria was established in 1715 thanks to the Duke of Corigliano. At the same time, other companies sprang up in the Sibaritide, including Rossano's Amarelli Liquorice, which began expanding in the 19th century to reach markets all over the world. Amarelli Liquorice is the absolute protagonist of the film mentioned in the opening, screened in the presence of Pina Amarelli, president of the ‘’Giorgio Amarelli‘’ Liquorice Museum, one of Rossano's landmarks.

It is here that among engravings, documents, books, photos and period clothing, agricultural tools and everyday objects, the experience of one of the most important and well-known family businesses in Calabria comes to life. Inside the large space of the Concio (1731), it is possible to discover the secrets of Amarelli Liquorice processing, from the sheaves of root to the most modern extraction and processing plants, along a guided tour that thrills children and adults alike.