Sambuco (Elderflower)

Sambuco: a dainty white wildflower that grows in the forests of the Trentino mountains. There’s a buzz of excitement whenever the Faccioli family sees a sambuco plant. Why? For its flavor of course.

Sambuco flowers are gathered in bunches, preferably from higher-elevation areas farther away from the pollution of cities. We want our sambuco to be clean and pure.

I observed as the parents prepared the flowers for a favorite family treat. Maria cut off the stems and checked the flowers for any stray insects. Francesco sliced lemons, and together they layered the flowers and lemons in a metal pot. Once the pot was full of flower and citrus, overflowing with sweet fragrance, they poured in water.

The pot of flowers soaked over night, letting the liquid marinate. The next evening, the last drops of sweetness were squeezed from the lemons and blossoms, and the juice was double strained. They boiled it for purity, added some sugar and apple cider vinegar.

The final product was a light syrup, used for flavoring water. They made enough to last through the summer. The kids love sambuco water! Sambuco syrup can also be bought at the store, and they joke that at the end of the day, store-bought even tastes better. But it is a tradition. The grandparents made sambuco and they make sambuco. Traditions are strong here. It is a word that continually resurfaces: tradition.