In many Campanian homes, at the end of lunch, a straw-yellow bottle appears next to the limoncello: this is finocchietto, the liqueur made from wild fennel seeds. We have tasted it many times in the inland areas and around Salerno, and each time we have been struck by its fresh, almost aniseed aroma. Here is what it is.
What it is
Finocchietto liqueur is included in the list of Traditional Agri-Food Products (PAT) of the Campania Region, in the category of drinks, spirits and liqueurs. According to the regional profile it is made in the province of Salerno and throughout the inland areas of the region. It is straw yellow in colour, with an alcohol content of around 30 degrees, and is valued above all for its digestive properties.
Wild fennel
The raw material is wild fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), an aromatic plant that grows wild along roadsides, in uncultivated fields and on hillsides throughout southern Italy. In cooking its leaves, flowers and seeds are used to flavour cured meats, boiled chestnuts and vegetable dishes. The liqueur uses the dried seeds, which hold the most intense aroma.
If you happen to walk in the countryside at the end of summer, you will easily recognise the plants by their yellow umbels and the unmistakable scent when you brush against them.
How it is made
The PAT profile describes a simple method:
- the dried seeds of wild fennel are left to macerate in alcohol for 15-20 days;
- a syrup of water and sugar is then added;
- the liqueur is bottled and is ready straight away, with no need to rest.
Traditionally it was a homemade liqueur, prepared within the family. Today, the Region notes, several local artisan producers also make it and sell it in bottles of different shapes and sizes.
How to enjoy it
The regional profile recommends serving it cold, and we agree: keep the bottle in the fridge or freezer and pour it into small glasses at the end of a meal. It tastes sweet yet fresh, with the aromatic note of fennel cleansing the palate after a generous lunch.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
We recommend looking for it around Salerno, from the city towards the Picentini hills and the Cilento, and in the inland areas of Irpinia and Sannio. To discover other traditional liqueurs, read Fragolino, Truffle liqueur and Liquore Concerto, while for an overview of the province's typical products there is What to eat in Salerno. The regional overview is in our guide to Campania's DOP and IGP products.
Photo at top (Salerno): No machine-readable author provided. Giaros assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.