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by "Un filo d'olio"|1995|I. Lunardi
Extra virgin oilve oil is one of the main ingredients that helps to make up a healthy diet (“The Mediterranean Diet”) but, due to its unique organic properties, it must be pressed from a seasonal harvest collected between the months of October and December.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil must be selected, approved and consumed in its natural state, as it is only in this way that we can enjoy the full benefits of its aroma and flavour.
Oil has a naturally short shelf life: a year, 18 months at maximum. In this year, the oil can help protect us from aging thanks to its high level of antioxidents and natural vitamins.
The use of Extra Virgin olive oil as part of our daily diets, has been shown to protect against both cardiovascular and gastrointestinal illnesses thanks to its high level of phenolic compounds.
Furthermore, it can help fight against the aging of cells as well as maintaining normal levels of blood colesterol
Recent medical research has proven that both poliphenol and vitamin E, found in oil, can prevent the onset of certain types of cancer (colon, breast, skin and prostate).
Recommended daily intake: 10-20 grams per day (½ dessert spoon) to be consumed as part of a healthy diet.
Oil and labeling
Bottles of oil are usually clearly displayed in shops; some are well publicized, others less so, while a few are completely unknown to us.
As consumers, therefore, it can be difficult to know which one to buy.
Our production is supported by information and technical specifications, displayed on the label, which can be traced all the way back to its original source hence guaranteeing its quality and authenticity.
Quite often olive oils are left on shelves for long periods, or stored in warehouses, both of which are subject to various temperature changes which can damage the natural properties of the product.
Our production, on the other hand, is characterized by small batch packaging and delivery on demand, thus avoiding this problem
How did the oil in Tuscany
Production of Extra virgin Olive Oil uses either one of two pressing methods. The first one which is called “traditional”,with its famous stone mills and extraction by mechanical pressure has since been replaced by the system of “continuous cycle”, which uses an extractor to remove the oil from the oilve pulp.
An olive is an oval shaped fruit containing a stone. Its colour varies from green to dark brown and is made up of three parts; the skin, the pulp and the stone-which contains the seeds. An olive contains between 15-25% total percentage of oil in the following proportions: 94-96% in the pulp and 4-6% in the stone. Therefore, in order to produce one litre of oil it takes up to 4 to 5 kilograms of olives, depending on the crop and harvest period.
In Tuscany, harvesting the olive from the branches by hand is still the most widely-used method. In this way, we are abe to produce finer oils, as only the best olives are selected with any damaged fruit being rejected. Ater harvesting, our olives are taken to the pressing mill, and the oil which is obtained from this first pressing is then usually left to deposit sediment before being packaged. Its colour changes from bright yellow to green of varying intensity.
The oil is a natural fat, vegetable in the liquid state. It provides approximately 9 calories per gram, and is cholesterol-free. It consists of oleic acid (monounsaturated) and by an optimal amount of polyunsaturated acids (linoleic and linolenic).
And it compared by many to the composition of breast milk.
OIL PRODUCTION IN ITALY
We must remember that the fame enjoyed by Italian olive oil throughout the world, besides the unquestioned ability of individual producers, comes from the geographical position of the peninsula in the Mediterranean basin, whose olive groves find their ideal environment in the territories which include those 30 ° to 45 ° parallel north. In this privileged area, we can obtain the best production, and the climate and the crop characteristics, which vary from region to region, can lead to very differing aromas and flavors. Therefore, in Italy alone, there are many types of oil whose diversity are derived from the composition of the soil and the exposure to the sun as well as from the collection and processing methods. In other words: the lighter oils found in the North become more intense and fruity the more we move towards the south. The national average yield estimated at 4,500,000 / 5,500,000 quintals (insufficient to meet the domestic annual consumption) is produced as follows: 75/89% Southern Italy and islands, 17/20% Central Italy, 03/05% northern Italy (data variable depending on the year).
We can then map the major regions of olive oil as shown below:
Ligurian Riviera
extremely light oils without body, both delicate and sweet due to the influence of the sea which in some years affects their maturation (taggiasca) and quality. Oils of short life (about 12 months). Extremely prominent scents.
Garda
delicate oils, typical of those grown in mild, laked areas, highly pigmented oils with little aroma and unharmonious taste. Oils with low acidity and intense color.
Tuscany
the undisputed in oil excellence due to the quality of the soil, the hill altitude (100 meters / 400 meters) and the microclimate. The production is characterized by the plant variety Frantoiana, Pendolino, Leccino and Moraiolo. Harmony of aromas ranging from artichoke, almond, cut grass, and green apple with a delicacy on the palate and delicate flavors. Colours vary from tones of soft green with yellow highlights to deep green, depending on the quality of the plant. Dry, soft and flavoursome oils, with low acidity and long lasting life (24 months).
Umbria / Abruzzo
Good quality, characteristically fruity oils. Double oils strongly pigmented with very specific characteristics at the expense of some delicacy. Strong oils which can have overpowering aromas. Colour varies from green with yellow shades depending on the production. Very clear and pronounced flavor because they are grown on stony territories whee drainage is highly influenced by climatic conditions (i.e. humidity and fog).
Alto Lazio
Same features of Umbria. Areas without stony soils but earthy and with influences from Maremma where the soil is more suitable for vineyards.
Puglia / Calabria / Sicilia
Represents approximately 75/80% of national production. This show significant differences in quality and characteristics between the various regions. There are certain areas that produce good quality, sometimes excellent, depending on the vintage and the pressing times. Oils of areas where excellence coexists with typical characteristics of the production area (Andria, Bitonto, Trani, Lecce, Catania, Palermo).
