Liquid Gold

Think Italy. Think incredible cuisine and wine. Think olive oil.

Italy is ranked as the world’s second highest producer of extra virgin olive oil after Spain. Many Italians see olive oil as the single most important kitchen staple.

The history of olive oil in Italy

Italy has some of the oldest surviving olive trees in the world, some of them going strong for an estimated 3000-4000 years. Puglia, the land of 50 million olive trees and supplier of a staggering 40% of Italy’s olive oil, as well as 12% of the world’s olive oil, is testament to this. It was the ancient Greeks who first introduced olive trees into southern Italy around 800 BC as Greece expanded its colonies across the Mediterranean. By the time of the Roman Empire, olive production had taken hold, with olive groves spread across Italy. The Romans revered olive oil, using it liberally in their cooking and as a remedy and moisturiser.

The process

The process of making olive oil has actually changed very little in the last few thousand years.

In Italy, the olive harvest begins in October and ends in December. The most ancient and traditional method to collect olives is by beating the branches of the olive tree with flexible sticks. This causes the detachment of the fruits, which fall on special nets, ready for collection. A more modern technique involves the use of faster mechanical harvesters, but these can damage the tree. In many areas of Italy, harvesting by hand still exists by climbing long wooden ladders and using special combs and shoulder bags.

Next, the olives are separated from the twigs and leaves. Some producers leave a few leaves to give the oil a more fruity flavour. The olives are brought in crates to the oil mill, where they are weighed and then stored. Storage is essential for the success of an oil. The olives must remain in a cool and ventilated environment, placed one on top of the other in thin layers.

Finally, the olives are rinsed in large tanks with fresh water and then dried by letting them drain. The olives then go to the milling rooms, sliding on special belt elevators that take them from the washing machine and drop them in the crushers to start the extraction of the oil.

The best oils are made from hand-picked olives, which are often ground with stone mills and gently pressed between cotton mats.

The best olive oil is olio d’oliva extra-vergine (extra virgin olive oil). This classification is derived from a chemical analysis, where the oleic acid content must be less than 1%. Lower acid usually means more flavour and aroma. To be called extra virgin, the oil is also required to be mechanically (as opposed to chemically) extracted. Over two thirds of the olive oil produced in Italy is extra virgin oil.

Where is the best olive oil in Italy?

With 18 of Italy’s 20 regions producing olive oil, that’s a tough question. There is so much choice with over 500 different varieties and each region cultivating and pressing oil from olives that are specific to their area.

Single estate oils from Tuscany are among the finest, and their taste reflects the care that goes into their production. However, exceptional oil can be found in many other areas:

• Enormous Lake Garda, which crosses the three regions of Veneto, Lombardy and Trentino, has a wonderful climate where the Casaliva olive is cultivated. This olive produces an oil with notes of fresh grass, aromatic herbs, artichokes and a typical almond aftertaste.

• The Italian Riviera in the region of Liguria gives us the Taggiasca olive, which produces one of the best extra virgin olive oils in the country. It is a small olive that packs a punch and is perfect in salads. Olives here grow on steep terraces facing the sea and produce a delicate oil that is almost sweet to taste.

• Umbria, the only region in Italy not bordered by sea or another country, is home to a number of varieties. The most important are San Felice, which yields a grassy oil with an artichoke flavour, and Moraiolo, which gives a fierce, bitter and almost spicy oil.

• Grown south of Rome on hills overlooking the sea, the Iltrana olive produces an oil with herbal overtones and a distinct taste of semi-ripe tomatoes.

• Originating in Campania, where olive trees grow pretty much everywhere, is the Ravece olive. The flavour is intense and well-balanced, with a scent of ripe tomatoes, making it perfect for drizzling on pizza.

• Southern Puglia is covered in olive trees. Some of the best, based on the Coratina variety, are grown around Bari and produce an oil with a strong and punchy character.

• With its rich volcanic soils, Sicily has an abundance of excellent olive oils. The best comes from the Tonda Ilbea olives grown near Mount Etna, which produce oils with a fruity, ripe tomato aroma.

Italian olive oil: the numbers

• Italy produces around 400,000 tonnes of olive oil each year.

• Only 40% of Italian extra virgin olive oil is exported.

• In the 18 Italian regions where olive trees grow, there are roughly 902,000 farms, 179 million olive trees and 4,500 pressing mills.

• Italy produces 42 DOP-protected oils and one IGP-protected oil.

What does DOP and IGP mean?

DOP is the acronym for “Protected Designation of Origin”, which works in exactly the same way as the appellation system for wines, meaning that it is made by local farmers and artisans using traditional methods.

IGP is the acronym for “Protected Geographical Indication”, which means the oil is closely linked to a specific geographical area and is protected by regulations ensuring quality and authenticity.

Trying the many different olive oils is yet another delicious pleasure on our culinary journey throughout Italy.

Ci vediamo la prossima settimana.

Deb