4totravel

Spent last weekend evening in the North End of Boston and as we went to order our after dinner drinks a man sitting next to me said "ask if they have Crema Limoncello"...that sounded delicious (no, the bar did not have it but the closed liquor store down the street did - alas they were closed.) Just wondering if anyone can describe it to me - it sounded like drinking a milder, sweet, lighter version of the limoncello itself - is that correct or am I way off base. I might have to return and buy a bottle...

sandi_travelnut

I never saw the bottle but I was given a glass of it in Italy. It was white as milk and not nearly as lemony tasting as the other limoncello. I did not care for the taste of it at all. It was not sweeter and not as flavorful in my opinion.

FlyFish

I think you've pretty much described the difference, except that I'm not sure "lighter" fits - the flavor is somewhat lighter, but it's also heavier-bodied, along the lines of Bailey's Irish Cream. Many liquor stores outside of the North End carry it now, along with some spin-offs from the same bottler that use orange and raspberry flavorings. I don't think either of those is as good as the original lemon flavor.

My wife and I don't drink it often, but when we do it takes us right back to a little trattoria in Venice, where we spent our honeymoon. At the end of the meal the waiter left a carafe of house-made crema limoncello on the table with a couple of shot glasses and it was obvious that we were welcome to drink as much or as little as we wanted. We managed, with some difficulty, to not drink it all.

ira

Hi 4,

As noted, it's like Bailey's only lemony.

Not to my taste at all.

travelphile

Crema de Limone is what it goes by on the bottle we brought home from Cinque Terra. I absolutely fell in love with the stuff. We asked about it all through Italy, but didn't find it until CT and made up for it there! Its a nice sipping drink, and much smoother than regular limoncello - the Baily's comparison is fitting.

FlyFish, if you read this again, where in Venice did you have it? We're headed back next Sept, but not to CT... would love to find it in Venice, as that is our last stop!

MelissaHI

You can make it at home! Try Fodorite Monica Pileggi's recipe for Limoncello Cream: http://www.luvtotravel.homestead.com...elloCream.html

i_am_kane

Tried it, didn't like it, threw it out.

FlyFish

travelphile, I'm afraid I don't remember the name of the place, but as I recall it was more-or-less straight ahead as you come over the Accademia bridge (toward San Marco from Dorsoduro) and not too far from there. I'm looking at the map, and that would place it somewhere in the vicinity of Campo San Stefano. Not much help, but it's all I can offer.

Huitres

It's called "crema di limone" and is particular to the Cinque Terre region, although they did have some variations of it in the south (Sorrento, Amalfi). It is a more milder, creamy version of limoncello; and is especially good served chilled in an equally chilled glass after a seafood meal. I admit it is an acquired taste.

Regular limoncello itself is stronger and harsher, whereas the crema version is not as hard on the stomach, nor does it have as much alcohol. I love it and drink it just as I did in Italy - after a seafood meal as my dessert liqueur.

DAJ

We brought both the non cream and the cream variety of Limoncello from the Amalfi area. Ours was purchased in Sorrento. I had thought Limoncello was indigenouse to the Campania area of Italy; thus the Amalfi Coastt & Sorrento.

We are returning in the Spring of '05 to Rome & Venice and am glad to hear there are other areas to purchase this; as well as other varieties to try.

Perhaps it is like Italy's wines, they are unique to their regions.

Huitres

DAJ: All of Italy has "limoncello", the Cinque Terre has its own version called "limoncino" - same thing really. I have bought both varieties (and crema di limone) in both the north and the south, although did find it more abundant on the Amalfi Coast (Sorrento, Amalfi, etc).