Italian olive oil’s culinary crown jewels shine from a mix of tradition, geography, and dedicated craftsmanship. Centuries of olive cultivation have led to diverse, flavorful varieties specific to different regions, each boasting unique aromas and tastes. From the grassy notes of Ligurian oil to the peppery warmth of Sicilian, these regionally dist...
READ MOREOn a warm, blustery December afternoon outside the De Laurentis olive oil-producing co-op in the white hilltop town of Ostuni, Puglia, Luigi D'Amico holds out his palm, revealing an olive picked earlier in the day. Instead of resembling the plump, gleaming green and black fruit overflowing in bins around him, this one is half-consumed, dry and shru...
READ MOREIn his forty-five years as an importer, John J. Profaci has witnessed first-hand the meteoric rise of the olive oil category in the United States. “As soon as I start talking about the industry, my memory starts reflecting back on all the things that have gone by,” he told Olive Oil Times publisher Curtis Cord in an exclusive interview. “And I’m am...
READ MORESicilian extra virgin olive oil is once again confirmed as the best in the world. This was decreed by the prestigious international Olio Nuovo Days competition, held recently in Paris. Winning first prize as the best extra virgin oil in the competition was the Magihouse Valle dell'Inferno - Family Reserve from the Marino-Giambrone company of Cammar...
READ MOREHenceforth, a singular label will distinguish all bottles of Olio di Calabria PGI, marking a pivotal achievement for the Consortium for the Protection of Calabrian olive oil, the Italian Southern region as a whole, and its olive oil producers. The strategic employment of this distinct label is poised to yield substantial advantages by steering cons...
READ MORE“Bella di Cerignola” olives have been cultivated since time immemorial. Some believe that they come from the “Orchites” olives of the Romans, others believe they were introduced from Spain before 1400 AD. However, since there is no evidence of them among native Spanish varieties, they should be considered a native variety of Cerignola in ancient Da...
READ MOREThe best time of year in Tuscany? The October weeks of the olive oil harvest. At any time, small Tuscan towns have a sense of community but during this season, the festivities triple, jovial arguments ensue over whose oil is best, the tastings seem endless at neighbors’ houses, and at home, there’s just the plain joy of welcoming this year’s olio n...
READ MOREAt the end of my first day harvesting olives in southern Italy, I cried. What was I possibly thinking, flying 6,400 miles from San Francisco to Bari, Italy, in late fall to engage in two full weeks of manual labor? I’d just spent eight hours laying down large green nets beneath rows of trees and raking olives off their branches from the moment the...
READ MOREItalian olive oil took the spotlight at the latest edition of FITCE in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, a prominent international expo conference in the United States. The event attracted the participation of seventy countries, recognizing Florida as the preferred gateway for expanding business not only in the United States but also in the adjacent market...
READ MOREWe don’t need to tell you that Italian cuisine is so much more than just pizza and pasta. Each region in Italy, from Lombardy in the north to Sicily in the south, offers its own unique culinary treasures that are steeped in centuries-old traditions, offering a true treat to the palates of food lovers worldwide. With this in mind, here’s our roundup...
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