ENTER A PRODUCT: Submission #16

General Info
------------
Product name: Ilma Zahar
Scientific name (for reporting plants, animal breeds, insects, etc.): Ilma Zahar
Category:
Category: Bevande distillate e fermentate

Geographic area:
Geographic area: Caccia, Malta
Latitude: 36.0500932
Longitude: 14.2643301
Location: 36.050093,14.26433
Formatted Address: Caccia, Malta
Locality: Caccia
Country: Malta
Country Code: MT


Product description
-------------------
Product description:
Ilma Zahar is made by the leaves and blossoms of seville orange trees. The distiller, or Lampik in Maltese, consists of two parts “ first a large copper or zinc long pot with two handles. The top part – the lid – is in two sections. This looks like an upturned mushroom shaped bowl with the wide top open and which is filled with water. A spout on one side serves to empty water in the bowl when required, normally every forty five minutes. Within this bowl, on the bottom, lies a domelike compartment with a spout on one side. A tube shaped holder fits into the wide neck of the jar over which hangs the said compartment. The water above the dome where vapour is emitted from the pot serves as a coolant and has, therefore, to be frequently changed. First the jar is filled with a pail of water and selected leaves and orange blossom are manually pressed inside and stacked in it. The pot is then placed over a stone oven “kenur” with fire which would have been burning for some time until the hardwood in it turns to red hot ashes and the temperature would be in the region of 600º C. Another pail of water is then added. When the water boils and steam rushes out and the air is filled with aroma, the top part is placed over the jar. As said earlier, the open bowl of the top container is filled with cold water with the spout sealed. The heat below sends up steam up into the dome and the distilled pure orange blossom water slides down through the long thin spout, dripping through a funnel and into a jar placed underneath. This is due to the dome shaped compartment being hot with steam inside and cold on the outside with water above. This continues until all the naturally scented liquid has all been poured out. Four pounds of orange blossom produce one quart of pure orange blossom water. It is important to ensure that the water in the top container does not get hot, so this is emptied through the spout and replenished with more cold water every time a five litre jar is filled, normally every forty five minutes. The oil from the blossom and leaves rises to the top, which produces the scent. Big dark coloured glass containers “tramiggiani” are filled with blossom water, “ilma zahar” for storage in the dark. From then onwards they will not be moved until emptied into small dark green 0.25 litre glass bottles during the year using pipes. Only natural cork is used to seal the containers and bottles.

Gastronomic use:
Orange blossom water has therapeutic properties and is used as a sort of digestif to settle the stomach. It is also used in many kinds of sweets and biscuits and used to be sprayed on qaghaq taz-zokkor (or qaghaq helwin) as they come hot out of the oven. A few drops of orange blossom water and a little ground cloves make a fine addition to a cup of good black coffee – a tradition acquired from Middle East countries.

Relationship with the local ecosystem and processing:
More than 100 years old in the Village of Xaghra, where in the past more than 10 producers were found.

Culture and history:
Ilma Zahar is made by the leaves and blossoms of seville orange trees. More than 100 years old in the Village of Xaghra, where in the past more than 10 producers were found, nowadays only one remains who still continues the traditional and homemade production.

What are the conservation risks?:
Nowadays only one producer remains who still continues the traditional and homemade production.

IS IT PRODUCED BY AN INDIGENOUS PEOPLE / COMMUNITY?: NO

Upload space
------------
ADD IMAGE:
- Image: https://medsnailgeodatabase.famp.es/slowfood/sites/default/files/webform/segnala_un_prodotto_bk1/22/Ilma_Zahar.jpg