Anyone who has already eaten particular pastries such as diplomats, for example, or who has had the opportunity to taste trifle, knows well that they generally contain red shades within them: the latter are mainly due to the use of alchermes, a liqueur of Arab origin which, with its intense red color - to be precise, a crimson shade - contributes to the preparation of tasty specialties with a sure visual impact. Alchermes arrived in Italy via the Spanish, although its growth in popularity is attributable to the fact that it was much loved by the Florentine house of De' Medici.