Stories from la Tenuta
EVO oil on pizza: raw or cooked?
Do you put the oil on the pizza before or after cooking? The correct answer is: both before and after! It's not us who say this, but Raffaele Sacchi, a professor at the Department of Agriculture at the Federico II University of Naples. And here's why: a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil before cooking helps bind and blend all the ingredients better, but above all because—in the specific case of tomato pizza—it helps the polyphenols in the extra virgin olive oil bind with the lycoptenes in the tomatoes in a sort of chemical reaction. The result is a burst of antioxidants, a true health boon. A drizzle of raw olive oil, on the other hand, helps restore aroma and flavor that could otherwise fade due to the high cooking temperatures. So all we have to do is follow the instructions and sacrifice: oil the pizza before baking and oil the pizza fresh from the oven. Don't disobey! What would you have put on this pizza with San Marzano tomatoes, grilled ham, and Apulian burrata? A drizzle of Firrisa or a drizzle of Miscazzè?
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Do you want to discover the origins of olive oil?
Then we must look to the land where the sun rises first, a broad view that extends from that great sea of the Strait of Gibraltar, to that region which for obvious reasons is called the Levant. We are in the cradle of Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilization: it is precisely here that the cultivation of the olive tree originated, with the consequent production and then the miraculous consumption of olive oil as we know it today. In the 1970s, archaeological excavations brought to light the city of Ebla, and here the discovery: a royal archive of more than 30,000 inscribed tablets describing, among the various crops, the supply of cisterns and the commercial transactions of our much-prized olive oil. We are talking about the 24th century BC and it is the first historical evidence of written sources on agriculture and food. But how fascinating is it?
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What would you think if some friends invited you over for a glass of oil?
They're some pretty strange friends, eh! Well, we want to break a lance—and not a loaf of bread—for these somewhat over-the-top friends. We're not breaking bread because the only way to taste oil (as with wine) is by drinking from a glass of oil alone. Then we can make all the combinations we want but the oil must be tasted pure. It's not just any glass, it's a stemless, footless blue tulip glass that directs all the aromas upwards. Why is it blue? Because tasting oil is a sensory experience that unfortunately doesn't involve sight. "Why?" you might be wondering, "the color of oil is so beautiful!" It is beautiful, yes, and it's equally beautiful to notice all its nuances, from straw yellow to bright green, but it's not crucial in assessing its quality. Moreover, all that glitters is not oil, because the color of oil can easily be falsified, which is also why it can't be considered during an official tasting—but among friends, yes! It depends on many factors: ● the cultivar ● harvest time (early, at veraison, late) ● conservation The only thing you need to worry about is if you notice strange reddish and/or brownish streaks; in that case, the oil might not be good. So keep your eyes peeled, always! Now let's focus on smell and taste. How do you taste olive oil? There's THE official, one-and-only technique. Pour a little oil into a glass, cover it with the appropriate cap, and then warm it by rubbing your palms around the glass. When the glass feels warmer than your hands, you can begin tasting. Technically, the temperature is set at around 28°C (82°F). At that point, uncover the glass and hold it to your nose, inhale, and travel. Repeat the process several times to avoid habituation, moving the glass closer and further away. This way, the released molecules will stimulate the 10 million olfactory neurons in your olfactory epithelium, and all the little drawers of your memory will open. Start assigning scents to memories: almond, artichoke, freshly cut grass, artichoke and tomato, pine nuts, and so on. What a wonderful adventure inside your nose, huh! Now it's time to raise the glass to your mouth and perform the "stripping" technique. It's a somewhat noisy sucking technique—and not very elegant to do in a restaurant :)—but it's crucial for organoleptic evaluation: it involves moving the oil from the tip of the tongue toward the edges using air quickly drawn in from the corners of the mouth. The mixture of saliva, air, and oil spreads across the taste buds, giving you the perception of bitterness, while the molecules rising up the nasal passages, through retronasal olfaction, release an infinite array of aromas. Finally, breathe and if it stings your throat, it means the oil is good. Meet your friends' eyes, raise your glasses, and cheers! (It's time to break bread and get the party started!).
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"Unfiltered oil, any residue does not affect the quality": bullshit!
Let's find out when tradition must necessarily give way to innovation. After being extracted from olives, extra virgin olive oil has an opalescent, cloudy appearance. This is because it contains suspended particles of water and other organic substances—the quantities of which vary depending on the extraction method and the quality of the mill. We're sure you've noticed these residues at least once, clearly visible because they settle over time at the bottom of the storage container or simply at the bottom of your grandmother's or aunt's oil cruet. This isn't a good sign at all! The coexistence of water, nutrients, and microorganisms can quickly lead to the formation of the sensory defects of sludge and rancidity. But what exactly happens? Water, dust, soil, proteins, enzymes, and all the suspended matter—composed of olive fragments, pits, leaves, and various impurities—are highly reactive and can trigger degradation processes in the oil. How can this be fixed? By passing the oil through a porous medium (usually a cardboard filter), foreign bodies and water molecules are retained, effectively eliminating them from the oil. By separating the compounds involved in chemical reactions, the risk of defects occurring is prevented, at least in the short term. Therefore, filtration undoubtedly results in a more stable, clear, and long-lasting product. This explains why filtering oil extends its life! We would like to point out that the filtering process is solely intended to further enhance the quality of the extra virgin olive oil. This additional step in the production process has direct costs in terms of equipment and labor, as well as other costs, such as the inevitable loss of product. Indeed, during each filtering session, a quantity of oil remains trapped in the filters pressed by the machine and is released only at the end of the process (as clearly visible in the video). The oil that falls from the filters collects in the drip tray and is then disposed of. A quantitative loss entirely justified by a clear improvement in the quality of the product! So what do we do? We filter!
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SuperHERO or SuperEVOO?
Extra virgin olive oil has three historic enemies, but with our help, it can defeat them all. You read that right: not one, not two, but three enemies—the stuff of Sergio Leone movies. Here are the candidates for the three-way match. Oxygen It's invisible, yet deep down it's up to all sorts of mischief. For oil, there's no more insidious and ruthless enemy; it threatens the olive from the moment it's harvested. To combat it, we practice the expert art of hand-picking, preserving the integrity of the fruit and preventing oxidation. Furthermore, we transport the olives to the mill within hours of harvest and rely on a continuous-cycle system, ensuring the olives, olive paste, and oil are never exposed to air. Oxygen is also eliminated during storage; the oil is kept under a nitrogen blanket. The light Oil is photosensitive, meaning its organoleptic properties change when exposed to light. This is why we use dark glass in our bottles and store them indoors, away from direct light sources. The high temperatures Heat can also deteriorate oil. Keeping oil at its ideal temperature of 16-20°C (60-68°F) best preserves its quality; significantly lower or higher temperatures significantly reduce the product's shelf life. A bit like Batman, our SuperEvoo needs collaboration, he needs Alfred's fundamental support. But by taking all these essential precautions during harvesting, production, and storage, we emerge victorious: we are able to slow the oxidative process that reduces phenolic substances, vital antioxidants with countless health properties. Only with these care are we able to deliver a product to you that has retained its organoleptic properties, aroma, and flavor intact. Now it's your turn, a bit like Robin, to be providential, take the best care of our/your oil, intervene at the right time: store it in a closed place away from direct sources of light and heat, always put the cap on and you'll see that everything will go smoothly – like oil!
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Turn it however you like, the laboratory analyses and tasting speak clearly.
Extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, and olive oil. What's the difference? Italy, along with Spain, Tunisia, and Greece, is among the world's leading olive oil producers, yet there's often little knowledge about the subject. We need to catch up; let's do our homework! Regulation (EEC) 2568/1991, with subsequent amendments and additions, establishes the exact quality standards required for an oil to be labeled "EXTRA VIRGIN OIL." Let's proceed in order. Extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil are both the result of the first pressing of olives. The main difference lies in the organoleptic qualities and the percentage of oleic acid (acidity): ● extra virgin olive oil: it is an oil without defects, with notable qualities and whose acidity is less than 0.8 grams per 100 grams; ● virgin oil: is an oil that has some defects but does not exceed the maximum acidity limit of 2 grams per 100 grams. Our oils have an acidity level of less than 0.2 grams per 100 grams: this not only allows us to fully qualify for the Extra Virgin Olive Oil designation, but also to comply with the more stringent Monti Iblei DOP regulations, whose maximum oil percentage limit is set at 0.5 grams per 100 grams. After this brief self-congratulatory digression, let's proceed with the other indications. Extra virgin olive oil and olive oil. The fundamental difference lies in the production process. Extra virgin olive oil is always produced using mechanical processes. Olive oil, on the other hand, is a blend of refined oil (extracted using chemical solvents) and virgin oil. In this case, the acidity level must not exceed 1 gram per 100 grams. It's important to emphasize that the acidity of oil cannot be determined by tasting, but only through chemical analysis. Organoleptic analysis (panel testing), on the other hand, allows us to detect other qualities through smell and taste. Indeed, if we really want to be honest, the real goal of panel testing is to identify product defects. But that's another beautiful story that we'll tell you another time.
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Saying extra virgin is like saying grand cru. What's the right price for extra virgin olive oil?
Those unfamiliar with EVOO culture usually prefer light, sweet olive oils with little character, just like those tasting wine for the first time. This isn't a fault, because the taste for great oils and great wines is an acquired taste: it's education, it's culture. But we're tired of making the best of a bad situation. One thing deeply bothers us: while wine is rightly classified into various quality levels, in the world of olive oil, the confusion in communication is such that you can buy nothing less than an extra virgin olive oil for €2.99. Unbelievable! Instead, speaking with full knowledge of the facts from the perspective of oil producers who grow their own olive trees, quality oil should cost at least €8 per liter. No, that's not heresy, it's just mathematics. Assuming that 9 kg of olives are needed to produce one liter of oil, and considering a price of €0.88 per kg, without resorting to Euler, a simple multiplication brings us to almost €8. All other costs are not included here, but we've still established a minimum threshold far from €2.99. We're listing them for your information: ● land and plant maintenance costs (fertilization, organic treatments, pruning) ● collection costs (in our case manual) ● transport costs ● milling costs ● bottling costs ● packaging costs ● certification costs (DOP, IGP, BIO) ● taxes and duties However, when faced with a product whose price varies from 3 to 20 euros per litre, even the most expert consumer will be disoriented and anyone will have wondered why there is such a great variety of prices for the same product. Well the answer is simpler than expected: it's not the same product! We're proposing a revolution: a revolution in labels. Because, just as it's impossible to write Barolo on a bottle of table wine, it shouldn't be possible to write extra virgin on a bottle of ordinary olive oil. We have no resentment against ordinary olive oils, especially since they aren't always necessarily bad, but let us tell you: extra virgin olive oil is something else entirely. It's a superior product, just like a grand cru, and should be communicated and marketed as such. A true extra virgin is one of those that, when you put your nose into the glass, you can smell the freshly pressed olives; a true extra virgin is one of those that explode in your mouth, like when you crush an olive between your teeth, you immediately taste the bitterness on your tongue, and then you inhale and cough because as soon as it hits your throat there's nothing you can do, you taste the spicy flavor! Unfortunately, sensory and organoleptic characteristics cannot be perceived from an unopened bottle on a shelf, and Italian laws do not help us, because they currently give too broad a definition of "extra virgin olive oil." For this reason, the consumer has only one option left: to be guided by a variable that is decisive and determining in this case: the price!
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What gives olive oil its green color?
The green color of olive oil is due to chlorophyll, but it does not express the quality, which depends on the quality of the olives, extraction, and storage.
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