I’ll admit it. This humble Italy travel writer — who gets to visit the land of la dolce vita and drink all kinds of fabulous wines — sometimes likes to drink something of a lesser vintage and quality — Diet Coke. I know, how could I? Well, on a recent trip to Italy, I discovered an alternative, of sorts, to Diet Coke, a good ole’ Italian soda called “Chino.” It has a light, citrus-y taste and is downright refreshing.
I did a bit of research when I got home and found out from the Drink Station Blog that San Pellegrino first bottled Chino under the name “Chinotto” in 1932. “Chinotto is a sparkling Italian soft drink named after the small, bitter citrus fruit of the Myrtle-leaved orange tree. The tree is believed to have originated in China, hence the name. Today Chinotto fruit is mostly cultivated in Italy, where the peel extract is an essential ingredient in Italian Bitters (‘Amari’); alcoholic liqueurs drunk either as a digestif or an aperitif,” the website says.
What unusual things have you had to drink in Italy? Or what do you look forward to drinking?
By Kathy McCabe
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I’ve always wondered what this tastes like – so thanks for the insight. Sounds good – I might give it a go !