The olive oil is unique, as it is the olive tree.
It is an evergreen and it grows in subtropical climates all over the world, growing between 10 and 40 feet tall in size, and living up to hundreds of years!!
During spring, it is covered in white flowers that will then turn into olives.
Olives will be harvested between late September up to December, depending on the area they are located. Then, they will go to the pressing almost immediately to preserve their quality.
Let’s have a look at where and when it all began!
6000 Years of Flavor!
The olive tree has been part of the Mediterranean culture for about 6000 years.
It played a vital role in both the economy and the everyday life of the Greeks, but it was only thanks to the Romans that the Olive tree became a real success. As their empire grew, the Romans began to plant olive trees in the newly conquered regions, using part of the harvest in return as taxes instead of gold and expanding the cultivations thorough the continent.
Besides cooking and seasoning, olive oil had many other uses.
In fact, it was used as the base for the preparation of ointments and creams due to its emollient and soothing properties.
Furthermore, it was utilized as fuel for lamps and lanterns.
With the fall of the Roman Empire, the industry around olive oil was nearly destroyed. Therefore, olive cultivation suffered massive declines, except for a few areas where the religious services kept on growing them to use the produce for liturgical services.
Olive oil was then introduced in America in 1700 by the missionaries, and it became more popular thanks to Italian and Greek immigrants.
Today Italy, then Greece and Spain, are the leading producers of olive oil in the world.
Olive oil is good for your health!
Olive oil returned to international prominence thanks to the latest scientific and medical discoveries, and because of the increasingly frequent use by famous international chefs.
Nutritional studies have shown that it has excellent healthful qualities.
Medical studies have demonstrated that it is very useful in preventing various diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, and aging.
However, you have to make sure your olive oil is of the purest grade, and cold-pressed, meaning reading “EXTRA VIRGIN” on the label.
“Extra Virgin” means that the oil is extracted by cold press method (at a temperature lower than 80,6° F) and without the addition of any chemicals.
If you want to purchase good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, we recommend you always check the label carefully and follow these basic principles:
- Sold in a dark glass bottle, as the oil is sensitive to light
- Has a level of free acidity of less than 0.8%
- Contains a high percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids (e.g., oleic acid between 55% and 83% of total fatty acids)
- Certified organic
- Comes from a reliable origin, or even better if marked as D.O.P. (Denominazione di Origine Protetta)
- Harvested, pressed, and bottled in the same place: in fact, the waiting time from one step to the next will decrease the quality and the flavor of the finished product
If you want to have a taste of the authentic Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, came to Campania.
From salad to Pizza, we do use only the best quality product to offer you the best Italian experience.
Find the delicious recipes where we use EVOO from our menu http://campaniaga.com/menu/
