During cooking:
- 500g extra virgin olive oil
- 300g organic coconut oil
- 100g rice oil
- 100g grape seed oil
- 50g castor oil
- 394g reduction of Vin Brulé (Trentino Merlot, organic orange zest, organic lemon zest, cinnamon sticks, cloves, nutmeg; boiled for 20 minutes and then filtered)
- 146g caustic soda
- 21g sodium lactate
After cooking:
- 80g organic cocoa butter
- Half a glass of Vin Brulé
- 5 ml lemon essential oil
- 5 ml orange essential oil
- 3 ml cinnamon essential oil
ace represented by the soap: Trento and the tradition of Vin Brulé (Mulled Wine) consumed in the streets.
Why does it represent the proverb "Saponi e buoi dei paesi tuoi"? Vin Brulé is a sweetened wine cooked with orange and lemon zest, cinnamon, cloves, and a pinch of nutmeg. It's delicious, but above all, it's THE winter drink of Trento! In the city center, at every corner, there's a stall selling it in small cups that warm your hands. Its aroma fills Piazza Fiera, which during the winter is adorned with Christmas markets, and it's a must-have during the holiday season in the villages. If in the summer, after work, people meet in the square for a "Spritz," in the winter, they gather for a Brulè at the Christmas market! It may seem a bit too warm and too spicy to be an aperitif, but it's incredibly tasty and is said to work wonders against colds. So, if you have a sore throat or a stuffy nose, instead of recommending aspirin, they'll tell you to "have a Brulè!" which, with cinnamon and the essential oils of lemon and orange, is truly a remedy. And the beautiful thing is that you can drink it in the street. Despite the early darkness, the snow, and the fact that Trentini are known for their reserve, by the time the shops close, the streets are bustling! Okay, it's true that by nine o'clock, there's no one left... but hey, we're still in Trento, and you can't expect too much when it's minus ten degrees outside! In Trento, Brulè is made with red wine, and there are as many recipes as there are pots it's cooked in, but the base is always the same: citrus fruits and spices. A scent that immediately brings Christmas to mind and warms not only the stomach but also the heart.
Preparation
Production method: hot process.
To intensify the color, add a touch of red ochre, a pinch of blue mineral oxide, and a small amount of shiny mica, all dissolved in a generous spoonful of wildflower honey (from a family friend who is a beekeeper). Dust with powdered spices (cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, and cardamom) after shaping.
How to use
While making the soap, the scent of Vin Brulé, combined with that of olive oil, surprised me, reminding me of the wine cookies my mother makes!
Something that has little to do with Trentino because she is Roman, and wine cookies and olive oil are definitely flavors of central Italy! So, while thinking of making a soap that would capture the essence of Trentino, I ended up reminiscing about my family's origins... a case of "saponi e buoi dei paesi tuoi" (soaps and oxen of your own land) squared! The scent of my home and my mother's home at the same time!
I added plenty of cocoa butter because in winter, hands need special care, given the cold weather. The essential oils of cinnamon, orange, and lemon have an antiseptic effect that we hope will help protect us from the flu and seasonal illnesses!
