Limone di Rocca Imperiale

Limone di Rocca Imperiale is a PGI-protected lemon from the municipality of Rocca Imperiale in Calabria, produced exclusively from cultivars of the Femminello group. The designation requires fruit of at least 100 g and 53 mm in length, a juice yield of at least 30 %, juice acidity of at least 4.5 g of citric acid per 100 ml, and a limonene content exceeding 70 % of total terpene hydrocarbons.

About this designation

Registered as a PGI under file number PGI-IT-0818, with EU protection granted on 26 July 2010, Limone di Rocca Imperiale is produced entirely within the administrative territory of the municipality of Rocca Imperiale. The designation is reserved for fruit from cultivars of the Femminello group, belonging to the botanical species Citrus Limon Burm. All stages of growing and harvesting must take place within this delimited area. At the point of release for consumption, fruit must weigh at least 100 g, measure at least 53 mm in length, and display a peel colour ranging from light green to yellow. The flesh is lemon yellow with almost no seeds. Juice yield must be greater than or equal to 30 %, and juice acidity must be greater than or equal to 4.5 % (4.5 g of citric acid per 100 ml). The flavedo must contain a limonene content exceeding 70 % of total terpene hydrocarbons. Only fruit belonging to commercial classes Extra, I, and II may bear the designation. The maximum planting density is 700 plants per hectare. Fruit not marketed immediately after harvesting may be stored at a temperature not exceeding 11 °C, and must be packaged within no more than 60 days of harvesting. Packaging labels must display the designation Limone di Rocca Imperiale in print larger than any other text, the registered logo, the European Union emblem, and the commercial class. The responsible producer group is the Consorzio di Tutela del Limone di Rocca Imperiale IGP.

Source: The register document this entry was written from · retrieved August 26, 2026

Distinctive facts

• Registered as a PGI on 26 July 2010 under file number PGI-IT-0818, eAmbrosia identifier EUGI00000013787.
• The specification permits no cultivars outside the Femminello group; no other lemon variety may carry the designation.
• Juice acidity must be at least 4.5 g of citric acid per 100 ml, a value revised following a 2012 study by the Consorzio and ARSSA.
• The entire production area is confined to the single municipality of Rocca Imperiale; fruit grown elsewhere may not use the name.

Tasting notes

Calabrian lemon from Rocca Imperiale area, characteristic small-medium fruit with thin peel and very juicy flesh, balanced acidity, fragrant.

HoReCa use

The specification notes that the peel, rich in essential oils, and the juice of Limone di Rocca Imperiale are used in traditional local cuisine to characterise the aroma and flavours of dishes.

Packaging

• crate-10kg
• crate-15kg
• retail-net-bag-2kg

Seasonality