You can guarantee the one staple ingredient found in every Italian kitchen is a quality Oli Extra Vergini.
This October Maurizio visited the world acclaimed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) producers, the Gabrielloni family in their home town of Recanati, in the Marche region of Italy.
Read on to discover more about this friendship and business partnership, what makes the best olive oil, it’s significant health benefits and why it is such an important part of Italian cuisine at La Locanda.
La città della Poesia
La Locanda’s Italian road-trip begins in Recanati, known as the “city of poetry” visiting their old friends at Frantoio Gabrielloni where they produce their renowned extra Virgin olive oil. They are in the midst of the olive harvesting season, gathering the last of the olives with family and old friends who return every year to help.
“Working together under the blue Italian sky with the sound of the tractor
and the chatter of old friends makes days like this very special”.
Sisters Elisabetta and Gabriella and Sonia are real characters and completely passionate about their beautiful olive oil. These incredible women are the third generation to run the mill and manage both the olive trees and mill, from pruning to pressing. Deep rooted in tradition, the mill is one of the few remaining to use the age old method of pressing olives with friscoli.
Ingredienti Puri
La Locanda owners Cinzia and Maurizio have formed strong friendships and alliances with many native Italian producers and suppliers over the 18 years since opening their doors. They believe the quality and diversity of their ingredients really makes a difference to the dishes they create, bringing flavour and character that just wouldn’t be possible with intensively farmed produce or mass-produced ingredients.
Did you know:
- Italy is the world’s second highest producer of extra virgin olive oil behind Spain
- Italy is home to over 540 different varieties of olive, over 40% of the global known varieties
- Olive oil is integral to Italy’s culture and Mediterranean diet
- Generally to obtain a litre of quality EVO oil it takes about 10 kg of olives
- An olive tree reaches senescence at about 40-50 years old
To produce a quality EVO oil the cost is between 10 and 12 euros per litre
The benefits of Olive Oil:
Cooking with and including a quality olive oil in your diet, is incredibly beneficial to one’s health. Part of the Mediterranean diet, this traditional oil has been a dietary staple for some of the world’s healthiest populations:
- It is a healthier choice for use in cooking
- It has antibacterial properties
- It’s nutrients help fight inflammation and may reduce your risk of chronic diseases
- It can help reduce joint pain and swelling from rheumatoid arthritis
- Studies have demonstrated that those who consume olive oil have a much lower risk of stroke, have lower blood pressure and reduced risk of type 2 diabetes
- Consuming olive oil does not appear to increase the likelihood of weight gain.
What to look for when choosing an EVO Oil:
- Packaging – prefer tins or dark bottles
- Aroma – when you open the bottle you should smell an aroma of fresh cut grass, green olives, raw artichokes and sometime more complex aroma as green tomato, apple and almond. If is not present a fresh “green” aroma probably the oil is not a good quality.
- Colour – the colour is determined from different factor as variety and heritage. It can vary from yellow to green and golden colour. All can define a good quality EVO oil and in same time a very poor quality oil.
- Flavour – Much like wine, each olive variety has a unique, distinct flavour … Always it need to be bitter and spicy, these the characteristic given from the polyphenols which protect from the oxidation process and are the main substances that produce the health benefits
- Certifications PDO for protected Designation of Origin and PGI for Protected Geographical Indication are European Union indicators of quality and authenticity and guarantee the consumer the high quality of the product
- Storing in a dark and cool place
At La Locanda from the 29th November to 5th of December is the week dedicated to appreciate in any aspect the new 2021 EVO oil production from Gabrielloni
