Nocino (nocino) – Italian nut liquor from unripe walnuts (ital. noci) with a strength of 40%, made by maceration (infusion). The finished drink has a dark brown color (reminiscent of ink), a deep aroma and a bittersweet taste. It is believed that the first recipe originated in the Emilia-Romagna region.
Liquor nocino is not a mark (brand) or name protected by origin. In 1978, the Nocino association was created in Spilamberto, designed to preserve the ancient traditions of production and popularize the drink in every possible way, but it was not possible to secure the name “nocino” only for Italian producers.
In villages in northern Italy, this liqueur is prepared in almost every household. There is no single recipe, the main thing is to take green walnuts as a basis, and then you can add any spices: cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, juniper berries, orange or lemon zest, etc.
Many connoisseurs of nocturno are sure that modern commercial versions of the liquor have deviated too much from the original version: manufacturers reduce the time of fruit maceration, add artificial colors and flavors to the composition, so you can only taste real nocno with Italian farmers.
History
It is not exactly established when and under what circumstances nocno appeared, especially since this is not an original Italian invention – walnut liqueurs are known in many countries. For example, in the Roman chronicles of the time of the conquest of Britain, evidence has been preserved that even the tribes of the Picts (inhabited Scotland) prepared a similar drink on a midsummer night. According to another version, the liqueur came to Italy from France, where it was called “liquer de brou de noix”.
The walnut has always been a slightly “magical” fruit associated with witches and wizardry. It was believed that only the wisest women of the “witch” should collect green nuts on the night of St. John the Baptist (June 24). Barefoot pickers climbed the trees and manually selected the best nuts, picking them carefully so as not to damage the delicate skin.
The next day, the nuts were poured with alcohol and left to infuse until the night of All Saints (October 31). At the same time, it was forbidden to use metal tools – it was believed that metal could adversely affect the healing properties of the drink.
Classic nocino recipe
Only young nuts collected at the beginning of summer are suitable for making nocino. The fruit should be soft, easy to pierce with a pin, and the inside should have a jelly-like consistency. The main thing is to “catch” the right moment of collecting nuts, which lasts only a few days and is called “balsamic time”. Too green fruits will be bitter, and overripe ones will give an unpleasant woody-tannic aftertaste.
Ingredients:
- unripe walnuts – 1 kg (about 29-35 pieces);
- grape moonshine (vodka, cognac) – 1 liter;
- sugar – 700-900 grams (to taste);
- spices (cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg, juniper berries) – to taste.
Traditionally, an odd number of nuts are used.
The strength of the alcohol base is in the range of 40-85% and depends on how strong the finished liquor should be. In the process of infusion, the concentration of alcohol will decrease by about 2 times. It is very important not to overdo it with spices so that they do not drown out the aroma of young fruits.
Preparation
1. Cut each nut into 4 parts, put together with the core in a glass container for infusion.
Since nuts leave stains that are difficult to remove, it is best to perform all operations in old clothes and medical gloves.
2. Add sugar and spices. Close the lid, shake a few times and leave in a sunny place for 4 days.
3. Pour in the alcohol base, mix, seal tightly. Remove to a room at room temperature.
4. Insist at least 2-3 months (preferably 5-6) in a sunny place. The first two months it is desirable to shake every day.
5. Strain the resulting infusion through gauze, slightly squeeze the nut pulp. Filter through cotton or coffee filter.
6. Pour the finished homemade night into bottles of dark glass and close hermetically. You can additionally sweeten with sugar if you wish. Shelf life – up to 5 years.
How to drink nocino
Nocino has a good effect on digestion, so it is often served as a digestif (after the main meal). Liquor is drunk in its pure form at a temperature of 16-18 ° C from glasses with a volume of 30-60 ml and usually does not have a snack, but if desired, the drink forms a good gastronomic pair with hard Italian cheeses and ice cream.
Sometimes a shot of walnut liqueur is washed down with espresso (this combination is called caffe corretto), nocino is also used for culinary purposes, replacing vanilla extract with it in pastries, for example, biscotti.
Cocktails from nocino
Midnight Manhattan (aka Walnut Old Fashioned). Mix nocino with bourbon in a 1:2 ratio, add a couple of drops of orange bitter, serve with ice and a cocktail cherry.
Raincoat. Mix equal portions of nocino and bourbon, add one bar spoon of almond syrup. Serve in a chilled martini glass.
The Italian Sidecar. 2 part Cointreau and lemon juice, 3 parts nocino, XNUMX parts brandy. Mix everything, serve with a slice of lemon.