Description: The eucalyptus, imported from Australia to Europe in the late 18th century, was considered an ornamental plant and developed into a favorite object of cultivation in many parks of the patrician villas on the Mediterranean.
But the power of Eucalyptus began when the Trappist monks started to be interested and cultivated it extensively in the environs of Rome in order to "improve its unhealthy air of the area". At that time the balsamic scent of the eucalyptus was regarded as a suitable remedy for cleansing the air and for eliminating malaria in the wetlands. Only later it was understood that if the Eucalyptus helped somehow to clean up the malarious areas, it was exclusively due to the fact that this tree (large with an extensive root system and in need of a large amount of water) contributed principally to „dry out" the marshland.
Another power of Eucalyptus consists in the essential oil, called eucalyptol, which is found in large amounts in the leaves. The essential oil of Eucalyptus has important therapeutic applications as a disinfectant of the respiratory system and as antiseptic.
Of course a flavored Grappa with leaves of Eucalyptus is mostly recommended in states of flu and cold and should be drunk hot with the addition of a lemon slice.
Ingredients: - half liter of Grappa - 30 leaves of Eucalyptus - 2 tablespoons honey - 2 roots of Liquorice
Preparation: To prepare it, you take 30 leaves of Eucalyptus and place them in a half liter of Grappa, leaving the bottle in the sun for a month and shaking it occasionally. Meanwhile you prepare another bottle, where you insert two tablespoons of honey and 2 roots of licorice in a half liter of Grappa. After uniting the two preparations, the liquor will be left in the sun for other 30 days, filtered and left to age for 2 months. The color of the obtained Grappa is pale green, its aroma balsamic and ist flavor bitter-resinous.
