Vilco wrote:
Randy Johnson wrote:

Most Italian Olive Oil sold in the US is, indeed imported from Italy;
however, because there's so much demand for "Italian olive oil" the
Italians buy much of the oil from Spain and blend it.

Buy only DOP or IGT italian EVO oils and you'll get oil made with
all-italian olives.
A good one with a good quality/price ratio is from Farchioni, it's theyr
"Umbria DOP".

BTW - actually there's only one IGP EVO oil and it is Toscana IGP, the
others are either DOP or nothing, where nothing means oil made from turkish
or greek or whoknowswherefrom olives.

I've no idea what it is like in the US, but I just bought 5 litres of
Pugliese oil from the Brindisi hills. The oil must all be cold pressed,
must all be from olives grown in the Brindisi hills, must not be pressed
to produce more than 25% of the weight of the olives. I expect many
cooperatives are that strict. Certainly estate bottled oils would be,
because an estate could be wiped out by labeling bad oil as its own.

That said, I really don't care if there are Libyan olives in my daily
oil if it tastes good. I bought the Pugliese because it is absolutely
delicious, but I use two national brands, too, one all Italian and one
not stated. And then I received a gift of an oil from a smallholding,
which was grassy. I'm told that's because it takes them so long to pick
the olives and get them to the press.

Lest people decide this is snobbery, it isn't. Oil is so important to
us and our food that we are very chary about the choice. They ARE
different. The difference can be as wide as that between Chianti and
Champagne.

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Giusi wrote:

I've no idea what it is like in the US, but I just bought 5 litres of
Pugliese oil from the Brindisi hills. The oil must all be cold pressed,
must all be from olives grown in the Brindisi hills, must not be pressed
to produce more than 25% of the weight of the olives. I expect many
cooperatives are that strict. Certainly estate bottled oils would be,
because an estate could be wiped out by labeling bad oil as its own.

Nice to see you posting again, Judith. They make good olive oil all
over Italy, but traditionally, southern oils have always been considered
somewhat inferior. Have you tried any Ligurian oils produced by a good
estate? They still have those three-hundred-year-old oil trees in their
three-thousand-year-old olive groves. And most every olive has to be
harvested manually, as the trees and groves are mostly inaccessible by
machines. Almonds are picked the same way. There is a delightful novel
_La Mennulara_ by Simonetta Agnello Hornby.

Victor

"Randy Johnson" wrote in message

Actually, I much prefer the taste of Spanish olive oil over Italian; thus,
I
won't knowingly be buying the Italian product.

That's a rather broad statement. I've had mediocre from both, I've had very
good from both. Of course, we may differ in taste preference anyway.

Victor Sack wrote:
Giusi wrote:

I've no idea what it is like in the US, but I just bought 5 litres of
Pugliese oil from the Brindisi hills. The oil must all be cold pressed,
must all be from olives grown in the Brindisi hills, must not be pressed
to produce more than 25% of the weight of the olives. I expect many
cooperatives are that strict. Certainly estate bottled oils would be,
because an estate could be wiped out by labeling bad oil as its own.

Nice to see you posting again, Judith. They make good olive oil all
over Italy, but traditionally, southern oils have always been considered
somewhat inferior. Have you tried any Ligurian oils produced by a good
estate? They still have those three-hundred-year-old oil trees in their
three-thousand-year-old olive groves. And most every olive has to be
harvested manually, as the trees and groves are mostly inaccessible by
machines. Almonds are picked the same way. There is a delightful novel
_La Mennulara_ by Simonetta Agnello Hornby.

Victor

Oh yes, I have tried all I can find. Our local Umbrian oil is good too.
I like a very fruity and piquant oil for many purposes, and the
Puglian suits that taste. Actually, Puglian oil now is very sought
after for its "fortitude" which was once considered a bit much. For me,
if I am going to consume the calories, I want it to be worth it. I was
clued in last year when my neighbor, a skinflint farmer, went to Puglia
with his stainless steel barrel to buy oil on the spot.

My first thought on seeing Puglia was that the trulli were recognized
just in time, and the taste for olive oil internationally sewed up her
recovery. She is very beautiful now. It's hard to think of what she
will become if hordes arrive to love her to death.

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