Olive Oil

[Moxie]

Originally Posted by Mediated Anarchist

What about it?

Marche olive oil rocks

[Lollita]

I bought some olive oil from Puglia when I visited La Dolce Vita last year, I tasted oil from several regions, but Puglia got my vote.

[Angie and Robert]

What about it Mediated Anarchist?, we were discussing olive oil and its very good, here in Marche as well, ours this year was excellent, and much appreciated by friends and neighbours, there is an old thread on it with a ytube video put together by Sarah, hope its still active so that you can enjoy watching it.
A

[giovanni]

Originally Posted by Gala Placidia

Ligurian oil is excellent; however, I think that we cannot say that there is such a thing as THE olive oil, they all have different characteristics. If we generalise a bit, we find that the extra virgin olive oil from
LIGURIA is delicate, aromatic and fairly light
The one from TUSCANY is robust, spicy, with an aftertaste of nuts and pepper.
The one from LE MARCHE, coming from a careful blend of different olive varieties is very well balanced.
The oil from PUGLIA is fruity and highly acidic as it comes from very ripe olives.
The SICILY one is quite comparable to the oil from PUGLIA. It has a strong and penetrating taste, always fruity.
From UMBRIA we get an oil which smells of fresh herbs and has a characteristic green colour.
The one from ABRUZZO is emerald green, very fruity and has a very strong flavour.

Different regions, different tastes, different uses. I always use EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil in my kitchen for all purposes and I usually have 4-5 bottles which I use according to what I am preparing.

And I am always trying different labels and origins.

I see no reference to Oil from Campania? Which is totally understandable,otherwise one would be unable to use certain qualities to describe oils from differing regions...

AS ALL THESE QUALITIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE OILS IN CAMPANIA

[Mediated Anarchist]

And before anyone says it, the oils from Campania are not collectively known as crude.

The Campanians, just like their oils.. are very well balanced, delicate, aromatic, robust, spicy, strong and penetrating, always fruity and never ever acidic.

[Gala Placidia]

These were the regional oils I knew best; however, I will endeavour to complete my education and I will report.

[Capo Boi]

To meet extra virgin olive oil criteria, the oil has to be no more than 0.8% acidity. Ligurian oil is pretty much the lowest in Italy, often coming in at 0.2% and this is the reason that it is particularly highly rated.

[Gala Placidia]

Some data and figures which may interest you.
Italy is the 2nd largest producer of olive oil in the world, with some 2,5 million acres of olive trees under cultivation. Yearly olive oil production is about 450,000 tons a year but the Italians consume well over 600,000 tons a year. Italian olive oil exports is a business that tops one billion euros a year.
Now, the largest producer of olives and olive oil in the world is Spain, with over 5 million acres of trees cultivated and a production of 2,000,000 tons a year of which the Spanish people only consume about 420,000 tons per year.
All of the remaining tons are exported and a large chunk of these goes to Italy, which also imports oil from Greece and from other countries.
The world is increasing its consumption of olive oil because of the health benefits it has. The USA consumes about 7% of the world's olive oil and produces very little. About 75% of that figure comes from Italy and the figures are increasing. Canada is in a similar situation. Most of the Italian olive oil exported comes from the regions of Tuscany, Lombardy and Umbria.
Many Italian companies buy oils from different countries to fulfil their needs and they blend them; therefore, unless you buy directly from a reputable producer or you purchase those very expensive "boutique" labels which certify the origin, you really do not know what you are adding to your salad.
That does not mean that you cannot find some excellent blends of oils from different countries and then, it would be a case of personal taste.

[Sally Donaldson]

If Italy imports olive oil, does that mean they are at a maximum capacity in being able to produce oil, do you know Maria, or is there scope for further production there???

Another question. With wine, there are recognised international certificates awarded in wine tasting. I have forgotten the name for such people who have undergone this training. Are there similar courses and qualifications for olive oil???

[Capo Boi]

As Gala says, Italy is a net importer of olive oil in total because overseas oil is often blended with the domestic product. This essentialy takes place at the lower grades which are predominately used for cooking. At the extra virgin olive oil level (despite constant claims of adulteration) Italy is very much a net exporter.