Nuts About Nocino!

Our neighbor Sandro just returned to Seattle from his hometown of Modena, Italy and brought back with him a local specialty. Not the balsamic vinegar that Modena is known for around the world, but Nocino, a liqueur made from unripe, green walnuts. 

If you're a fan of limoncello, the lemon liqueur that is a specialty of Italy's Amalfi Coast, you'll be happy to discover this far less well known after dinner drink or digestivo. While limoncello is made by soaking lemon peel and sugar in alcohol like eau de vie or vodka, nocino is made with walnuts.

I think it's the perfect liqueur for this time of year--rich, dark and syrupy. And it's said that the properties in green walnuts help in digestion, certainly a good thing to know with  Thanksgiving right around the corner.

In Italy, if you're a dinner guest in someone's home, it's common to be served a digestivo (or two) at the end of the meal, which is exactly what we did for Sandro's welcome back dinner. I can't be sure that it aided anyone's digestion, but it was a great way to finish off the night.

--Tracy Schneider