Olive Oil of Abruzzo – Specialties
The health concious gourmet has learned to appreciate and known the advantages of olive oil consumption for quite a while. The oil isn’t only healthy but also very tasty and of the highest quality.
The discussion regarding the Mediterreanean diet which is full of vegetables, fish and particularly olive oil, has considerably motivated inhabitants of the “northern” countries to change some of their eating habits and add the liquid gold to their own recipes. When it comes to the various qualities of olive oils on the market, most consumers are insecure due to the fact that many designations are very vague and cheat in regards to their labelling and quality level of oil offered. The indication “Pure Olive Oil” doesn’t necessarily mean that which is written on the outside automatically corresponds to that which is found on the inside. Quality olive oil is not something which is mass produced but a natural product which is not refined as are the many other vegetable oils available on the market.
Olive oil reveals its true region of origin, as does wine, through its colour, aroma and flavour. The location of the olive trees and the soil in which they are planted, the climate, the time and care taken in the harvest as well as the processing method all influence the taste.
Olive oil isn’t just olive oil
According to European Union regulations (EWG Nr. 136/66) are the following quality levels and indications for commercial olive oils: Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Virgin Olive Oil are attained exclusively through mechanical methods and therefore cold pressed (without excessive temperatures). Very important is also the level of acidity: the lower the level of acidity the higher the quality of the olive oil. For example, Extra Virgin Olive Oil may not exceed the 0,8% acidity level.
In addition to the Extra Virgin typology is the simple olive oil variety made up of refined oil and virgin oil blend. The problem with this type of “olive oil” is the fact that there aren’t any strict regulations prescribed in regards to the proportions of either type oil. Meaning the amount of pure olive oil you may found in this type may lie anywhere between 1%-99%, not a very reassuring range.
The DOP seal of quality
When a product is able to maintain an outstanding standard for a long period of time, more often than not these types of products wind up having to compete with similar products of lesser standard which happen to wrongly use the higher quality indication on their own packaging. It is therefore that the European Commission established particular regulations 1992 whose goal it is to protect these appreciated items. The protected designation of origin (Italian: DOP – denominazione di origine protetta) attests that production and processing of a certain product in a given geographical region takes place along a certain regulated method.
When it comes to DOP olive oil, this means the production process, from the harvest to the bottling, must take place in the region in which the product is grown. Therefore the risk of purchasing a blended oil of mass production and lesser quality as found in many discount chains is next to impossible. The consumer is then able to read exactly which oil from which region he has before him. For those of you who refuse to settle for anything less but the best, the DOP oils are surely your best bet.
