Say "olive oil" to most Americans and they think "Italy." Good for the Italian producers of olive oil, but olive oil from Italy really the best? What is what the Italians do not want you to know, is that Italy consumes more olive oil than it produces. Where does olive oil to Italy come from?
Big Italian companies to buy their olive oil from Greece, Spain and the Middle East. The oil is shipped to Italy, where it is blended, bottled and exported to America, where people looking for olive oil from Italy will buy it without suspecting its true origins. On this very long supply chain, the oil ages and loses its unique qualities as it is mixed. The fat in question are still healthy fats, but even if it ranks as "extra virgin olive oil" is the quality is questionable.
Which brings us to a good question: What is olive oil extra virgin? In the old days, it was the first press oil from olives, which had the lowest acid content. Times have changed.
Today, most olive oil is produced in a different way - no more crushing olives with stones, pressing with weights, and heating it until it exits the low grade oil. In a modern olive press, the olives are crushed in a machine of steel and oil is extracted by centrifugation. The temperature is kept low to protect the quality of the oil. There is no subsequent pressings - all edible oils is extracted at the same time. The secret: If the olives have been harvested at the right time and handled properly, each drop of this oil is extra virgin.
Does this mean you can not get a good olive oil from Italy? No, absolutely not. But you can not get a good olive oil from Italy by the mass producers - stocks of groceries. This oil contributes to the goal - and it will not hurt you. But to get an olive oil first to Italy, you must turn to the smaller, artisan producers estate. These farmers grow their own olives and are very careful about managing their products.
Improper handling and storage of olive oil is the best way to ruin a good product. Allow to warm, exposing to light and oxygen, leaving older and you activate a product of natural beauty in "just an oil well." He lost most of the qualities that make olive oil is not only good for you, but enjoyable. The main producers do not take the same care as craftsmen. Neither does your local grocery store.
So next time you are looking for an olive oil first from Italy, are turning to small producers. With the Internet, which was formerly reserved for visitors to Italy is within the reach of Joe in Wisconsin. These small producers are there, and their fresh olive oils are some of the finest olive oil available anywhere.
Want to know which oils are worth the money and which to skip? Sydney has found a good olive oil when she moved to Crete, Greece. When she left Crete, she began a quest to discover a great quality olive oil available in America. She writes about the best olive oils, she found the olive oil investigation.
Big Italian companies to buy their olive oil from Greece, Spain and the Middle East. The oil is shipped to Italy, where it is blended, bottled and exported to America, where people looking for olive oil from Italy will buy it without suspecting its true origins. On this very long supply chain, the oil ages and loses its unique qualities as it is mixed. The fat in question are still healthy fats, but even if it ranks as "extra virgin olive oil" is the quality is questionable.
Which brings us to a good question: What is olive oil extra virgin? In the old days, it was the first press oil from olives, which had the lowest acid content. Times have changed.
Today, most olive oil is produced in a different way - no more crushing olives with stones, pressing with weights, and heating it until it exits the low grade oil. In a modern olive press, the olives are crushed in a machine of steel and oil is extracted by centrifugation. The temperature is kept low to protect the quality of the oil. There is no subsequent pressings - all edible oils is extracted at the same time. The secret: If the olives have been harvested at the right time and handled properly, each drop of this oil is extra virgin.
Does this mean you can not get a good olive oil from Italy? No, absolutely not. But you can not get a good olive oil from Italy by the mass producers - stocks of groceries. This oil contributes to the goal - and it will not hurt you. But to get an olive oil first to Italy, you must turn to the smaller, artisan producers estate. These farmers grow their own olives and are very careful about managing their products.
Improper handling and storage of olive oil is the best way to ruin a good product. Allow to warm, exposing to light and oxygen, leaving older and you activate a product of natural beauty in "just an oil well." He lost most of the qualities that make olive oil is not only good for you, but enjoyable. The main producers do not take the same care as craftsmen. Neither does your local grocery store.
So next time you are looking for an olive oil first from Italy, are turning to small producers. With the Internet, which was formerly reserved for visitors to Italy is within the reach of Joe in Wisconsin. These small producers are there, and their fresh olive oils are some of the finest olive oil available anywhere.
Want to know which oils are worth the money and which to skip? Sydney has found a good olive oil when she moved to Crete, Greece. When she left Crete, she began a quest to discover a great quality olive oil available in America. She writes about the best olive oils, she found the olive oil investigation.
No comments:
Post a Comment