Sambucus Hugo-Flavored Jelly by Alpe Pragas, zesty
The Sambucus Hugo-flavored jelly by Alpe Pragas brings the summer aperitif to the breakfast table, made from elderflower extract, sparkling wine, lime purée, and mountain mint. It sits on the spoon golden-bright and translucent, floral in its scent, and finished with a fresh hint of lime.
Sambucus Hugo-flavored jelly is the elderflower sparkling wine jelly from Alpe Pragas in the Braies Valley in South Tyrol, packaged in a 110-gram jar. Elderflower extract makes up the largest portion, complemented by sparkling wine, lime, a touch of mountain mint, and pectin from apples.
Golden, floral, with a hint of lime
Upon opening, the floral fragrance of the blossoms rises from the jar, underscored by lime and a trace of mint.
On the spoon, Sambucus remains light and clear; the blossom leads with its honey-like sweetness, the lime provides the zest, and the mint follows with a cool finish. The sparkling wine adds that yeasty note by which you immediately recognize the inspiration.
The consistency is delicately wobbly and glossy, as a jelly should be, and bright enough that you can see through the glass. On white bread with butter, it looks almost like a piece of jewelry.
The Hugo, spooned instead of sipped
The Hugo originated in South Tyrol a good twenty years ago and has since conquered the terraces of half the continent.
Elderflower, sparkling wine, lime, and mint are its four components, and these are exactly the four listed on the jelly's ingredient label. Alpe Pragas has brought the aperitif to the breakfast table with this product, without sacrificing any of its freshness.
The jelly contains 1.6 percent alcohol and therefore belongs at the adult table. During cooking and baking, this content evaporates anyway, but on a cold spoon, it remains as a subtle note.
Elderflower, mountain mint, and real sparkling wine
The umbels of the black elderberry bloom for only a few weeks in early summer, and that is when they must be harvested.
Their aroma resides in the tiny flower pollen and is quickly lost to heat, which is why the jelly is gently cooked under vacuum. At lower temperatures, its fragrance remains distinct rather than thickening into a syrup.
Mountain mint grows at altitudes of over a thousand meters and tastes cooler and more refined than the peppermint from the garden. Alpe Pragas uses it sparingly, as it is intended to accompany the blossom, not overpower it.
It is thickened solely with pectin from apples, which is naturally present in fruit and gels when heated. For a clear, bright jelly, this is the ideal choice because it adds neither color nor its own flavor.
For an aperitif and on panna cotta
A spoonful in a sparkling wine glass, cold Prosecco on top, a splash of soda, ice, and a mint leaf—the aperitif is ready.
It works surprisingly well on breakfast toast with cream cheese; over panna cotta and vanilla ice cream, it becomes a light dessert; and in cake batter, it contributes a floral scent. The jelly also pairs well with young goat cheese.
The small jar is quickly finished, which is the point, as a jelly with sparkling wine depends on freshness. Served cold, the acidity is most pronounced; at room temperature, the sweetness moves to the foreground.
Keep the opened jar refrigerated and consume it within two weeks to keep it fresh. You can find the pure blossom in the elderflower syrup, and the entire range can be found among the fruit spreads by Alpe Pragas.
