Olivocracy

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...

One of today’s big debates is whether or not organic fruits and vegetables are better for our health than chemically boosted products. Although many studies have established that organic products are the best option to choose, still several people are skeptical. According to some research, organic fruit have higher levels of vitamin C, beta carotene and flavonoids than chemically grown foods.   Just ask yourself – doesn’t the word 'organic' sound much better than 'chemical'? It so does! Jokes apart, what’s appealing about having pesticides residues in your food and forcing your body to process unwanted substances on a daily basis? Shifting to organically grown food can help you maintain good health. Speaking of apple cider vinegar, studies on its role in keeping blood sugar under control, losing wait and reducing visceral fat show encouraging results.The goodness of apples is preserved, and there is more goodness when they’re produced without using any chemicals. So if ...

  Italian olive oil (extra virgin of course!) is renowned to be top quality, due to the fact that Italy is the country with the highest number of PDO (Protected Denomination of Origin) certified areas.  The PDO certification is a guarantee of quality as the oil has to be produced and extracted within a certain area and meet certain criteria in order to get it. Furthermore, in Italy small productions still resist the spreading of mass intensive production in olive farming, with remarkable advantages in terms of traceability and attention to quality. Small producers in fact, would not probably cope financially if they didn’t make an outstanding product as they can’t reach the numbers that would allow them to be profitable with a cheap product.These are some of the reasons why consumers in the UK want to buy bulk Italian olive oil to secure a supply of their favourite condiment. Bulk buying explained…so you can buy bulk Italian olive oil and know why So, what’s this big fuss abo...