Olivocracy

Over the last three decades, wellness has become a popular discussion topic globally. In every corner of the planet, people try to improve their lifestyle through exercise, stress relief activities and healthy eating. Trying to cut the bad habit of comfort eating has become one of the most common resolutions. This has generated a massive interest around organic extra virgin olive oil . Not only is Mediterranean cookery extraordinarily tasty but it also enjoys the reputation of being one of the healthiest diets in the world. An what is the cornerstone of Mediterranean diet? Extra virgin olive oil of course! Mediterranean Diet & Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil So, is the Mediterranean diet so healthy as they say? As an Italian who grew up on bread, pasta and pizza, my answer is: it depends, Like in every place with a temperate climate, Mediterranean countries benefits from the generosity of nature, farming is an easier task when you don’t have to dal with extreme weather conditions an...

Italy is the second producer of olive oil in the world after Spain. On average, 464.000 tons of Italian olive oil are produced every year. In Italy there are 41 PDO areas. PDO (protected denomination of origin) is a protection mark assigned by the EU to food products whose peculiar characteristics depends on the area of production.  This means that the Italian olive oil from Puglia is different from the one from Umbria. Even within the same region, you will have sub-areas with products and traditions different from each other. Italian Olive Oil Production in Detail In Italy two millions of hectares (around 2.5 millions of acres) are dedicated to olive farming , both exclusively or in conjunction with other species, usually grapevine, citrus fruits and almonds. The presence of other species, trees, fruit trees and herbs, contributes to the final aroma of the extra virgin olive oil.  The south of Italy accounts for about 78% of the production, followed by the central regions (20...

Extra virgin olive oil is a key ingredient of the Mediterranean diet. This diet is very similar to WHO’s healthy eating advice. Plenty of studies have shown that if you replace saturated and trans fats with extra virgin olive oil, you will reduce the risk of heart disease. Along with Spain, Morocco, Turkey and Greece, Italy is one of the biggest olive oil producers in the world. If you have a passion for Italian recipes, you definitely have to add Italian olive oil to your kitchen pantry. How to blame you? We all know how delicious are Italian dishes and they would be incomplete without extra virgin olive oil. A few dishes that you can prepare with Italian olive oil: Any type of pasta, baked pasta, tortellini, gnocchi, lasagne, Bolognese etc. Arancini rice balls Pizza Caprese salad Rosemary Chicken and potatoes You can use this awesome oil for salad dressing, sautéed veggies and many other dishes. It combines a delicious flavour to numerous health benefits. Keep reading to find out. W...

  *in this article we use the acronym EVOO standing for Extra Virgin Olive Oil You can’t forget your dream holiday in Italy or that extraordinary dinner at your favourite Italian restaurant. The flavours, the aromas, the incredible experience of Italian food are stuck in your head (and your tastebuds!) and now you want to reproduce that experience at home. You know that one of the cornerstones of Italian cookery is Italian olive oil and you heard wonders about its health benefits. You’ve also heard a lot of other things about Italian olive oil and you are a bit baffled now that you want to buy some. Here is a guide to untangle from the information jungle! First of all a couple of tips for extra virgin olive oil in general. Extra Virgin Olive Oil In an Italian supermarket you won’t find olive oil that is not extra virgin. If you bump into virgin olive oil, pure olive oil or refined olive oil, say hello and move on! Let’s go to the second step. Cold Pressed or Cold Extracted? Nowaday...