Bergamot essential oil is a cold-pressed essential oil produced by cells inside the rind of a bergamot orange fruits. It is a common flavouring and top note in perfumes. The scent of bergamot essential oil is similar to a sweet light orange peel oil with a floral note.
Bergamot essential oil has been used in cosmetics, aromatherapy, and as a flavoring in food and beverages. Its citrus scent makes it a natural flavoring and deodorizing agent. The volatile oils of the bergamot orange are described as flavoring agents in the USP Food Chemicals Codex and are generally recognized as safe for human consumption by the Food and Drug Administration. For example, Earl Grey tea is a type of black tea that contains bergamot essential oil as a flavoring agent.
Historically, bergamot essential oil was an ingredient in Eau de Cologne, a perfume originally concocted by Johann Maria Farina at the beginning of the 18th century. The first record of bergamot oil used as a fragrance in perfume is from 1714, found in the Farina Archive in Cologne.
