Oleosaccharum (Latin for "oil sugar") is made by combining strips of citrus peel with sugar and letting time do the work. The sugar draws the essential oils out of the peel through osmosis, and over the course of an hour or a few hours you're left with a syrupy, intensely aromatic liquid that carries the flavor of the peel without any of the bitterness or acidity of the fruit. It's the secret behind great punch — most classic punch recipes start with an oleosaccharum. It's more fragrant than any syrup you can buy.
Why It Matters
Oleosaccharum captures the part of citrus that juice misses entirely: the aromatic oils in the peel. The difference between a punch made with simple syrup and citrus juice versus one started with oleosaccharum is the difference between a drink that smells like sugar and a drink that smells like fruit.
Where You'll Use It
Punch, large-format batched drinks, and any application where you want deep citrus aroma and sweetness in a single ingredient. Also useful as a finishing syrup — a few drops over a finished drink.