If you think "fragolino" is just the sweet sparkling wine found in many parts of Italy, Campania has a surprise in store. Here the name mainly refers to a homemade strawberry liqueur, dark red and fragrant. We came across it at the end of a meal, served in small glasses: here is what it is.
A strawberry rosolio
Fragolino is included in the list of Traditional Agri-Food Products (PAT) of the Campania Region, in the category of drinks, spirits and liqueurs. The regional profile also calls it rosolio di fragole and presents it as an old speciality found throughout the region. It is dark red, sweet, with an alcohol content of around 35 degrees.
Not to be confused with the wine
The name can be misleading. In many regions of the North, "fragolino" means a wine made from fox grapes (American grapes such as Isabella), which in Italy cannot be sold as wine because of the rules on permitted varieties. The fragolino of Campanian tradition described by the Region is something else: a liqueur made from strawberries, without grapes. So when you go looking for it, ask for the liqueur.
How it is made
The recipe is the typical one for homemade rosoli, and the PAT profile describes it in a few steps:
- fresh wild strawberries are left to macerate in alcohol for 2 to 10 days;
- the liquid is then filtered;
- a separately prepared sugar syrup is added;
- the liqueur can rest for a while or be drunk straight away.
As with all rosoli, the quality of the fruit makes the difference: the more fragrant the strawberries, the more aromatic the liqueur. Traditionally it is a homemade liqueur, prepared within the family.
How to enjoy it
We recommend drinking it chilled, at the end of a meal, in a small glass: it is sweet and fragrant and should be sipped slowly. We like it alongside simple desserts such as dry biscuits or a tart. Remember, though, that it is strong: a few sips are best.
Fragolino belongs to a very rich Campanian family of homemade liqueurs, ranging from limoncello and lemon cream to finocchietto and herbal liqueurs.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
Since it is made all over the region, fragolino can be found almost anywhere, from shops in Naples to those on the coast and in the inland areas. To discover the other traditional liqueurs, read our profiles of Finocchietto, Lemon cream liqueur or cremoncello and Cioccolato al limoncello. For an overview of the region's certified products there is our guide to Campania's DOP and IGP products.
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