The recipe for Chartreuse, a closely-guarded secret dating back to 1605, is said to contain 130 herbs, spices and flowers and comes in green and yellow versions. It takes about 40 tons of blended ingredients to make a year’s worth of the stuff; making more would require harvesting more resources, something the Carthusian monks who distill it worry could harm the planet. It’s popular in French ski resorts where it’s mixed with hot chocolate and called verte chaud, "hot green". But now there’s trouble in the Alps where the monastery is located.
© 2024 John Oliver
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