Limoncello, the lemon liqueur often served as an after dinner aperitif, is the most famous of sweet liqueurs made in the Amalfi area from fruits and herbs - known as rosoli. Other rosoli are Finocchietto, made with wild fennel; Lauro, made with bay leaves; Mirto, made with myrtle; Nocello, made with walnuts; the rare Nanassino, made with prickly pears; and Fragolino, made with fragoline di bosco, the wild strawberries. Limoncello is the most common rosolio. Various local versions are sold throughout the Sorrento Peninsula, on the islands of Ischia and Capri, and almost every family in Campania has its own recipe that has been passed down for centuries. Real limoncello is made with Amalfi's special lemon, called sfusato di Amalfi. It is large, long, and light in color, with a sweet and very flavorful aroma and taste, has almost no seeds, and a very thick skin. Limoncello is always served very cold, and can be sipped as a digestive after a meal. It makes an excellent lemon-flavored long drink, a champagne cocktail or granita.
