AI-generated illustration
PGI — Lorraine
A translucent golden square, slightly tart, that crunches under the tooth while releasing the aromas of Italian bergamot — since 1850, this unique sweet has been the only one in France to bear a PGI (IGP).
Confectionery from Lorraine, PGI (IGP) since 1996.
AI-generated illustration
The history of the bergamote de Nancy begins with the citrus fruit itself: it was through the pilgrimage of Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, in Meurthe-et-Moselle, that the bergamot — brought from Italy — first entered Lorraine at the beginning of the 12th century. The bond between Nancy and this citrus fruit strengthened in the 18th century: Joseph Gilliers, chef d'office and distiller to Stanislas Leszczynski, the last Duke of Lorraine, published Le Cannaméliste Français in 1751, featuring a pastille flavoured with essence of bergamot — still very different from today's sweet, as it was made with a gum base and without cooking the sugar.
Tradition attributes the invention of the sweet as it is known today to Jean-Frédéric Godefroy Lillich (Gallicised as Lillig), a confectioner originally from Wurtemberg who settled in rue du Pont-Mouja in Nancy, who is said to have combined bergamot essence with cooked sugar for the first time on the suggestion of a perfumer friend. The PGI specifications date this manufacturing principle to 1857, whereas BLE Lorraine suggests 1850 instead — further proof that neither the date nor the authorship is a matter of consensus. The exact authorship of the recipe remains debated, however: it rests on late writings from 1954, never confirmed by archival sources, and other contemporary confectioners (Barbier-Duval, Lefèvre-Denise) were already working with bergamot-flavoured cooked sugar in the second half of the 19th century. International acclaim arrived during the Exposition universelle de l'Est de la France in Nancy in 1909, where the confectionery was presented in its first tin boxes decorated with the place Stanislas and acquired a renown extending far beyond the borders of Lorraine.
AI-generated illustration
Bergamote de Nancy is one of the few sweets in the world to benefit from a Protected Geographical Indication, obtained on 21 June 1996 — making it the only French confectionery to bear an official sign of quality and origin. The geographical area of the PGI covers the four departments of historical Lorraine (Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Vosges), where the manufacture and individual wrapping of the sweets must strictly take place. In practice, production remains concentrated in and around Nancy: the Association des fabricants de bergamotes de Nancy (the defence and management organisation for the PGI) brings together Maison Jean Lalonde, Confiserie Stanislas and Maison des Sœurs Macarons — all three in Nancy —, as well as Confiserie des Hautes Vosges, based in Plainfaing, in the Vosges, and not in Meurthe-et-Moselle.
AI-generated illustration
Bergamote de Nancy is one of the strongest symbols of Lorraine gastronomy, alongside the mirabelle and the madeleine. Around 33 tonnes are marketed under PGI each year, a modest figure for an ultra-artisanal product. Certain houses, such as Maison Lalonde, still work with bronze machines dating from 1930: "Bergamote is worked like glass. The recipe is the same as that of the confectioner Lillig. And I still work on the 1930 bronze machines, a technical gem", explains Jean-Luc Guillevic, of Maison Jean Lalonde and president of the ODG Bergamote de Nancy. In 2026, the PGI celebrated its thirtieth anniversary, with a programme of workshops and historical trails in Nancy.
Aspect
Flat, square, transparent sweet with a natural amber colour, with a unit weight of 2 to 5 grams. The surface is slightly glossy.
Odeur
Powerful and characteristic: natural essential oil of bergamot (a floral-citrus fruit, distinct from lemon and orange), exclusively from Calabria, dominates with a slight caramelised note.
Goût
Sweet, slightly tart, with a lingering persistence of the bergamot aroma on the palate. More complex than an industrial sweet, less sugary than most hard confectionery.
Texture
Hard and brittle like glass, melting slowly in the mouth while progressively releasing its aromas.
The classic bergamote de Nancy is plain, flavoured solely with bergamot essence. Some houses offer variations: bergamote with honey, bergamote coated in dark chocolate, or mini-sized bergamote. Packaging ranges from the traditional clear bag to tin boxes illustrated with Nancy's place Stanislas, as well as gift sets.
Artisanal manufacture relies on the mastery of cooked sugar: the mixture of water and sugars is brought over an open flame to a temperature close to 152°C (± 5°C), corresponding to the stage known as the "hard crack". The natural bergamot essence is incorporated off the heat, all at once to limit its loss into the atmosphere, then the mass is poured onto an oiled table or marble slab and cooled before being cut to shape, by hand with a cutter or by machine through rolling (the old bronze turbines for certain artisans). The sweets are individually wrapped in clear packaging, to the exclusion of polyethylene, in order to protect them from moisture. The entire process demands rigorous thermal precision and a confectioner's expertise.
AI-generated illustration
Bergamote de Nancy is savoured slowly, left to melt in the mouth rather than crunched all at once, to appreciate the gradual release of its fragrance. It naturally accompanies China tea (Earl Grey, which itself contains bergamot) or a citrus infusion. As a gift, it comes in a tin box illustrated with Place Stanislas. Perfume enthusiasts will appreciate the bergamote as a bridge between gastronomy and olfaction.
Since: 1996
Area covered: Meurthe-et-Moselle, Meuse, Moselle, Vosges
Key requirements: Manufacture and individual wrapping within the PGI area; natural bergamot essence exclusively from Calabria; open-fire cooking to the "hard crack" stage at around 152°C; unit weight of 2 to 5 g
Association (defence and management organisation)
Artisan
Artisan
Artisan — Family-run
Artisan
Artisan
Artisan
Get listed and reach more lovers of regional produce.
Request a listing