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Geography

Napoleon olive oil has been imported through four generations of our Magnano family. The family imports Greek, Italian, Spanish, Tunisian, and Turkish olive oil...extra light, extra virgin, pomace and pure. We broker French, Mexican, and South American olive oil.

One of the great revelations when you start discovering the world of the olive is that each country produces olive oils of vastly differing flavors, and within each country, every region produces an olive oil different from the oil produced only miles away -- even when the same variety of olive is being grown...this is because the soils and the micro climates are different, and, as with grapes, these factors effect the taste of the fruit.

Olive oil represents 3% of the vegetable oils produced throughout the world, and the European Union produced over 75% of the total. Spain and Italy are the largest producers in Europe, historically taking turns in the lead, in line with the alternative bearing pattern of the olive, both reaching 35 - 40% of European production.

Argentina
Malbec isn't the only tasty thing being bottled in Argentina. The country's olive oil has recently come into its own, with boutique versions widely available. Now no restaurant table in Buenos Aires is complete without a bottle of a bright and fruity local aceite de oliva. Olive trees first arrived in Argentina nearly 500 years ago, but the oil was exported until the Spanish Civil War disrupted trade in the 1930's.

Afterward, Argentina oil was thought to be iffy stuff. But since the 1990's, quality has skyrocketed, following the same trajectory as the local wines. Many of the oils are organic or biodynamic, with the best coming from small producers in the winemaking regions of Mendoza, San Juan, and Catamrca. Connoisseurs differentiate oils by region and by variety. There's fiery farga, peppery frantoio and good, all-purpose arauco. These delicious olive oils can be purchased outside the wine regions, too. In Buenos Aires, most wine shops carry a small selection. Or pick some up at Valenti (www.valenti.com.ar), which is the city’s equivalent of Dean & Deluca.

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Australia/ New Zealand
We have mentioned that where 'there is good wine, there is good olive oil' and these two countries are no exception. They label their oils according to estate, region, variety, and year of pressing. The aim is to make premium quality oils to complement their vibrant local cuisine.Australia, with its sunny climate, horticultural infrastructure, and innovative technology, appears to have the expertise and will to supply an enviable olive oil industry. It tests soils for nutrient status, plans olive groves for mechanical watering and harvesting efficiency, and nurses its 'clean green' image much the same as New Zealand.

Australia's first olive trees were brought in December of 1800 by George Suttor, a protege of Sir Joseph Banks, the great botanist from Cook's expedition. However, it was not until after the Second World War, with the influx of European immigrants, that the olive tree was properly treated, and understood. Many were feral/wild olives, often along the roads that grew from bird-spread stones from colonial times. The oil was delicious, and piquant.

Now, however, olive trees grow in a great southern band across the country, mostly in wine growing areas from the West to the Southeast. In New Zealand, the most prolific areas also match the great wine areas ' and new groves established. A properly cultivated, conventionally irrigated olive tree will produce an average of 220 pounds of olives.

In the 1950's, people bought olive oil in tiny bottles in the drugstores, as a cosmetic, or medicine, it was years later, before it was rated as food. The Mediterranean food boom has turned olive oil into a condiment now found both in grocery stores, and in most kitchen pantries.

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California
Olives came to California around 1769 with the Franciscan fathers. The Padres used the oil for sacramental purposes, then for bartering. They used Mexican stock, and these trees are still often used for grafting. These trees produced seed that gave us the Mission variety. By the end of the 19th century, farmers took over where the missions left off, and there was a boom in olive plantings. More than 95% of the olives harvested in California go to canneries, which suffer now, due to cheaper imports from Mexico/Morocco/Spain. Olives grow primarily in the Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys. Fleshy olives favored for eating, like dense/tangy Frantoio, Manzanilla and Sevillano, have lower oil content than the light/nutty, small Mission olive.

You can make about 5 times more with grapes than olives. Olive trees take about 5 years to mature. As my grandfather said: 'you plant grapes for your children, and olives for your grandchildren.' However, on just five acres, you can generate 15-20 tons of olives from trees that require little care. The fruit sells for $4-600/ton. Each ton yields 40 gallons of oil.

Since most are produced on a small scale, they are more expensive than imported. All are cold pressed, extra virgin, primarily from the Mission olive (some Manzanilla/Sevillano olives from the Fall harvest). The United States is the world's largest importer of olive oil, but produces less than 1% of the world's supply. California olives in order of crop sizes are:

#1 Manzanillo      #2 Sevillano      #3 Mission      #4 Ascolano

Frantoso, Leccino, Morasolo, and Taggiasca are being introduced from Italy. America, Argentina and Australia represent the new world approach to olive oil. Californian oils are smooth and clean tasting.

California olive oil companies fall into roughly four groups:

California olive oil production is growing at a steady clip, and is on track to surpass some foreign producting countries. This year's olive crop is expected to be the largest in years, estimated to hit 800,000 gallons, 25% more than last year's production and exceeding French olive oil production of approsimately 725,000 gallons. There are 14,000 acres of olives planted throughout the Golden State, with 7,000 additional acres expected by the end of the year. And it doesn't stop there. Ten thousand acres of olive trees will be planted each year for 'as long as there's land in California'. At that rate, California will hit the one million gallon mark in 2011 and will meet or exceed Spanish production by 2020, producing 20 million gallons a year.

For now, the measured growth is exclusively pertaining to extra virgin olive oil, but as the industry grows, it will include olive oil as well. More than 125 olive varietals are grown throughout California, with arbequina olive trees being the most common throughout the state. The greatest volume of extra virgin olive oil comes out of the Sacramento Valley, the northern hald of Central Valley, but she expects production in San Joaquin Valley, the southern half of Central Valley, to meet or exceed that in the next two or three years.

The demand for California extra virgin olive oil is keeping up with the accelerated production. Driving factors include California's high quality standards and the weak dollar. 'There is more of a demand for quality olive oil today, and with the dollar so low against the euro, people are looking to California for higher quality and better-priced oil.'

The California Olive Oil Council represents 80% of the state's growers, all of which are required to meet the COOC's rigorous annual recertification process in an effort to ensure the quality of the oils. The COOC follows the International Olive Council guidelines, but the COOC has a stricter standard requiring less free fatty acids.

Perfect growing methods and soil conditions have attributed to California's exploding production. Instead of it taking 5 years for an olive tree to mature, it now takes about 2 to 2 and a half years because soil conditions have adopted to planting. Trees also being planted closer together and are more often being picked mechanically, ensuring more of the fruit is removed.

About 10% of the COOC's membership produces organic olive oil.

The California Olive Oil Council's Tasting Panel, of Berkeley, CA, has received official recognition for its olive oil from the International Olive Oil Council, an intergovernmental organization focused on integrity in the olive oil industry. The California team, whose volunteer members include chefs and farmers as well as food and wine aficionados, has trained for this goal for more than four years. The COOC Seal of Quality was created to boost consumer confidence in California olive oil, and for the first time in the United States, this seal establishes a labeling guarantee for extra virgin olive oil. The COOC will certify those producers participating in the voluntary program to meet international requirements for extra virgin. This year, the number of oils carrying the council's seal is expected to climb to 50, and olive oil is produced in all but 10 countries. The California Olive Oil Council was founded in 1992 and now has 360 members. Contact the California Olive Oil Council for more information at (707) 939-6909.

Much of the excitement about California olive oil can be traced to the Olive Center, a research facility at the University of Califronia at Davis, established two years ago as part of the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. The Olive Center is the only olive research and educational institution in North America, and it's been teaching growers a new farming technique, introduced from Spain, called 'super-high-density planting' : trees are planted in tight rows, with 650 plantings in a single acre ' roughly 550 more than you'll find in a traditional olive grove in Tuscany. The aim of super-high-density planting is to allow farmers to harvest the olives more quickly ' the freshness of the olive at the time of pressing is paramount in the making of a good olive oil ' and thus be able to produce quality oils at modest cost.

That happy combination of high quality and low cost is a sort of holy grail for serious producers of extra-virgin olive oil who must sell their product in a global market that's increasingly crowded with cheap oils labels 'extra-virgin'. As Dan Flynn, the executive director of the Olive Center, puts it, 'The grade of extra-virgin is broad and undifferentiated.' Even when carefully regulated, as it is in much of the olive oil world, the term extra-virgin can denote a host of flavors, from bland and uninteresting to complex and deliciously expressive of the fruit.

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Canada
Statistics published by Nielsen MarketTrack for the 52-week period ending May 10, 2008, reveal significant growth acrossr the Oils category of the survey. Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, and British Columbia all notched categoty increases in both dollar and unit values. Alberta had the largest percentage change in dollar volume, posting an eight per cent increase to $30,926,670, followed by Manitoba and Saskatchewan at seven per cent ($15,625,806), and B.C. and Ontario at four per cent ($34,997,182 and $117,064,624 respectively). In unit volume statistics, Ontario and Alberta led with a four per cent increase each for 23,818,981 and 5,127,059 units respectively.

Increased Canadian awareness and consumption of olive oils are helping to drive growth in the Oils category, an informal surey reveals. At $147 million, olive oil within the total category represents half the dollar volume of all salad and cooking oils.

There are three olive oil product segments: extra virgin (which has the most flavour and represents about 65 per cent of sales in dollar volume), mild and light, which together total about 35 per cent of sales in dollar volume.

Primary consumer uses for the Oils category include salads (as a dressing, or part of a dressing), sauteing and recipes. Salads typically represent the highest usage category. Typically, cooking oils, which include olive oil products, represent 50 per cent of overall category dollar volume in Canada. Infused oils, flavoured with elements such as lemon or basil, account for a statistically small portion of the Canadian market. 'The unit growth fo four per cent in the very large Ontario market reflects the movement of more olive oil in a healthy eating diet,' says Bob Riddell of TFB & Associates, a Markham, Ontario based importer and distributor of food, confectionery and health care products from around the world. Riddell expects growth in B.C. believing that market to be 'more health conscious and active' mostly due to climate, and Alberta's increase to probably reflect the current job and income situation in that province.

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France
Oil from the French Riviera and Province is delicate. It is sweet, fruity in flavor, and light golden color. French olive oil has a light taste, as its growing regions are less sunny than those nations further south. In international olive oil terms, France is a small player, with only 2,250 tons per year - but its influence is big, as France has been a magnet for the 'great/good', and a draw card for many who are fascinated by its food culture, and its olive culture in particular. The French have always prized fine food/wine, and the culture of the table. Though butter has always had its epicurean role in the North, olive oil, along with lard, duck, and goose fat have also had their valued roles in Province, and the Southwest.

As in other Mediterranean regions, there is a dichotomy between the old/new. Most French producers prefer the modern/continuous system of linked centrifuges to grind the pulp, and spin out the oil. This is fast, and easy to run. However, growers of the old school prefer the traditional way ' squeezing olive mash in a vertical tower press between fiber mats known as 'scourtins'. The merits of each extraction can be debated endlessly. However, what matters is that by both means, France produces some of the world's most enjoyable oils.

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Greece
Imagine the Mediterranean without the olive tree...what a different prospect it would offer. Surely of all the countries, Greece is the most difficult to picture...every island and every region is mountainous. What would be barren and inhospitable is softened and shaded by the moving gray-green mist of 140 million olive trees, some more than 4000 years old. Olive trees take the edges off the angles, and provide the backdrop to each tiny harbor, and each whitewashed village...imagine sipping your glass of ouzo in the village square, without the relaxing shade of an olive tree. The beauty of Greece is in its 3000+ islands, its clear sea, its blue cloudless skies, and above all -- the sound of a breeze rustling the leaves of countless olive trees. Since the ancient times when Athene's gift to mankind was the olive tree, the olive has flourished in a country where little else can grow...all over the rocky terrain of Greece, the olive tree has survived, boring its roots deep into the earth, providing not only its fruit, but a livelihood for millions.

The olive has been the foundation of the country's economy -- it was traded for corn/minerals, used for light/medicine, and as payment for taxes. Wealth was counted by the number of trees' one owned. Today, olives are prized for their culinary applications. The olive symbolizes hope and fertility, and seems to embody the spirit of a people who have known hardship -- yet who remain proud, generous, and friendly.

Greece, then, is the land of the olive...the gift of the goddess Athene, hailed by Homer, a symbol of peace, and a healthy component of Greek nutrition -- and export. The goddess Athene gave two gifts to the Greeks. She granted them wisdom, and because wisdom alone could not sustain life, she created the olive tree.

The country's ecological environment is ideal for its cultivation, especially on the coasts and islands. The perfect environment is a warm/dry climate, without winter frost, or spring winds and humidity, with only small differences of temperature between summer and winter. Archaeological studies prove that Greece has been producing high quality olive oil for more than 4,000 years. Oil jars and storehouses found at Knosos indicate that the Cretans used olive oil in the year 2500 BC, very much as they do today. Archaeologists take special pains to protect the olive tree of Plato, which is 2400 years old! Hippocrates, the father of medicine, first mentioned the health and therapeutic benefits of olive oil.

Greece devotes 60% of its cultivated land to olive growing, is the world's #1 producer of black olives, and boasts more varieties of olives than any other country. Greece holds third place in world olive production (which makes them the #1 producer of extra virgin olive oil) as compared with Italy (40-50%) or Spain (25-30%). Production is concentrated in Crete/Peloponnese (65%), the Aegean islands, the mainland Greece, and then the Ionian Islands.

Greece produces 350 - 400,000 tons of olive oil, 75 - 80% extra virgin, with annual exports between 190,000 tons - the majority to Italy. The EU absorbs 95% of Greece's olive oil exports, 1/3 of which is exported to Italy in bulk. 42% of all imported olive oil in Italy comes from Greece, 52% of which was extra virgin. The largest markets for virgin olive oil outside Italy and Spain are Australia, Canada, Great Britain. the United States, and Third World Countries. It is mainly sold in large containers (tins of 3 - 5 liters), and in the western countries, the main outlets are Greek ethnic stores. Very little promotion is done, and if so, exclusively through ethnic media.

Domestic consumption of Greek olive oil ranges between 170-180,000 tons, yet Greece produces enough olive oil to meet the entire consumption of the U.S. Greeks consume/enjoy the highest per capita consumption of olive oil in the world (almost 20 liters per capita annually) or twice the consumption per capita in Spain (9 liters) and Italy (11 liters). U.S. consumption is less than less than 1 liter per capita annually. Olive oil continues to increase in sales in Greece, due to rising incomes, improved marketing, and healthier eating habits. Olive oil, to Greeks, as us, is a source of life, health, and balance.

The olive oil produced in Greece is composed of the following quality categories:

There are 2,800 olive oil pressing facilities throughout Greece, a country roughly the size of New York (state). Greece has 11 million people, did $500 million in exports to the U.S., with food accounting for 30%. The U.S. is #4 on Greece's export list - behind Italy, Germany, and France.

While typically our Spanish olive oil is gold, and our Italian green, our Greek is a combination of both -- it comes from the North (as Spain), is picked early, and is lighter in taste than most extra virgin olive oil from Greece. High in antioxidants, Greek olive oil can reach 410' F before it begins to smoke -- unlike other oils, yet retain all of its flavor, bouquet, and nutrients in cooking. Greek oils are robust.

The Greek association of industries and processors of olive oil is called Sevitel.

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Italy
From the sixth century B.C., olives changed the cultural, culinary, and economic landscape of Italy for many hundreds of years. The Etruscans, the pre-Roman inhabitants of Tuscany, used olive branches and leaves to decorate their burial chambers. Early Christians used them in their catacombs, and branches are still used on Palm Sunday. In Imperial Rome, subjects paid their taxes in olive oil.

Italy produces/consumes about a third of the world's olive oil, or almost 700,000 tons of it. Italy has 73% of the U.S. market, Spain 14%, Turkey 8%, and Greece 5%. Last year, Italy exported $561 million (+16%) to the U.S. Spain can produce more, but uses about half as much olive oil as Italy does. Italy is synonymous in most people's minds with olive oil -- the countryside is dotted with olive trees. The ancient Romans were the most influential in spreading the cultivation of the olive tree throughout the rest of Europe and North Africa. The Romans perfected the curing techniques for olives, and discovered the screw press. The Romans produced one of the first cookbooks, compiled by Apicius (a noble and great gourmet, living in the first century A.D.)

The species of olive tree grown in Italy is the 'Olea Satina', which includes over 60 varieties in the 15 major oil-producing areas of Italy alone. In the north, the taggiasca olive produces light, fine oils with a delicate almond flavor, while stronger, fruitier oils are pressed from cassaliva, leccino, and moraiolo olives. In central Italy, the frantoio and moraiolo olives are common, producing spicy and herbaceous oils. And in the south, where the majority of olives are grown, the gentile di Chieti can be found in Abruzzo, the cima di bitonto in Puglia, the ottobractica in Calabria, and the nocellara in Sicily, most of which produce golden yellow oils with strong flavors and a nutty aftertaste.

Italian olive oils are categorized according to the following D.O.P.s (denominations of protected origin): Aprutino Pescarese, Brisighella, Bruzzio, Colline di Brindisi, Colline di Salernitane, Penisola Sorrentina, Riviera Ligure, and Sabina. Olive oil from the Chianti region has the prestigious denomination of controlled origin (D.O.C.) as well as D.O.P. Emilia-Romagna In Emilia-Romagna, dairy cows are more prominent than olive trees, but their olive oil has an aggressively grassy nose, rich flavor and plenty of grip. You find out about a lot of olive oils by talking to winemakers, who have much in common with olive oil producers.

Friuli-Venezia Guilia

Perhaps more renowned for the white wine tacai, Friuli-Venezia Giulia has only one DOP-designed growling region which, while it originally dates to pre-Roman times, fell into almost total obscurity after a devastating frost siped out the crops in 1929.

Lake Garda

Lake Garda, sandwiched between Veneto and Lombardy, would seem to be too far north for olive trees to grow. But the Lake moderates temperatures, allowing for a small production of generally good oils.

Lazio

Anchored by Rome, this region's history is rooted in a tradition in which the production of olive oil has played a central role for throusands of years. Some of Europe's oldest productive olive trees are still growling in this region. The age of these trees, and the depth of their roots, imparts a deep color to the oil and noticeable minerality on the palate.

Ligurian

Ligurian oil (Italian Riviera) is prized throughout the world ' it spans 170 miles from the Port of St. Louis on the French frontier to the river Magra (From San Remo to La Spezia). Liguria borders Tuscany. Liguarian oil is yellow in color, delicate in smell, and sweet, with a slightly fruity taste. During the Middle Ages, Benedictine monks increased arable land in this hilly region by leveling terraces behind stone walls, or maxel. The Benedictine monks are also to thank for the taggiasca olive tree, which they cultivated over the years through careful selection and grafting. In Liguria, the taggiasca olives yields a lighter and far more delicate oil that is perfect for seafood, Whether it is a whole sea bass braised in olive oil and white wine, or burrida, the Ligurian fish and seafood stew with tomato and herbs. It's also a fine ingredient in homemade mayonnaise, where a lighter olive oil taste is needed, and for pesto, Liguria's revered pasta sauce. Liguria has an abundance of wild salad greens, aromatic herbs -- and olive trees, especially on the Riviera Di Ponente.

Lombardy

Traditionally in this northernmost DOP, butter was often used in cooking more than olive oil. As the quality and availability of the oil iproves, it's becoming more prevalent in Lombardian kitchens. The cooler climate and shorter growing season produce a lighter bodied, more delicate olive oil.

Molise

One fo the smallest regions in Italy, Molise sits at a culinary crossroads, sharing the southern ifluences from Campania, and the northern palate of Abruzzo. The main growing region, inland from the Adriatic, has high plateaus and rich, verdant farmland. Eighteen century author Giovani Presta, and expert on olive growing and oil production, wrote that the region's olive oil was 'reserved for the most delicate, fussiest and wealthiest of palates.' Robust, it pairs well with the local DOP salami, salamini italiani alla cacciatore.

Puglia

Eighty percent of olive oil production comes from the South. Apulia (Puglia) is to Italian olive oil what Languedoc is to French wine: It produces more olive oil than any other region, but until recently most of it was ordinary fare sold in gallon tins. Now that farmers see the prices good olive oil commands in the United States, however, more high quality oil is being sold under the labels of individual producers. With the introduction of DOP regulations, quality has been added to quantitiy. Given the volume of olive oil produced here, and the variety of the terrain, there is a broad spectrum of flavors among Puglian olive oil. Good Apulian oil has a round, balanced flavor, without the assertive bitterness of Tuscan oils, making it a good all-purpose oil. It's also sweeter and more buttery than its northern counterparts because olives ripen more in the warmer climate of Italy's heel.

A Puglian olive oil can have a delectable almond flavor. The almond trees are often grown among the majestic olives, lending a particular benefit to the olive groves. The simpler the dish, the greater the need for the best oil. The other important products of Puglia are fish (the sea along Puglia's long coastline is comparatively clean, free of large towns and tourists), and cheese. ' whether fresh or aged, dried or smoked (Mozzarella/Provolone, etc). Vegetables and cheese are often part of a meal that has pasta as the main course ' types/shapes more numerous than anywhere else. The meat for making a ragu is often horsemeat, as Pugliese prefer its slight sweetness. Puglieses eat a considerable amount of lamb and kid. Beef and wild game are rare, but they are proud of their homemade bread ' which marks Le Puglie as a region with ancient traditions.

There is a strong connection with the oils for quality ' and is never questioned in quantity. Extra virgin olive oil is exported everywhere ' and often mixed to produce pure. The oils, specifically from Bitonto, are held in highest regard. Puglia olive oil is green with yellow reflections. It has a distinctive olive smell, medium fruitiness, and a taste reminiscent of cooked beans/ripe tomatoes. It is appropriate on meats, soups, and vegetables.

Sardinia

Under Spanish rule in the 14th and 15th centuries, Sardinian olive cultivation was greatly enhanced. Olive farmers had to plant at least 10 new trees per year, and many farmer who owned more than 500 olive trees has to build his own oil mill. Sardinian oil can be in tense golden yellow with green hues, and scents of applet and Mediterranean flowers. The palate is soft and fluid, balanced by bitter notes of artichoke and a hot, peppery finish.

Sicily

In Sicily, the prime oils come from the warmer, western side of the island. Sicily has a long history of olive cultivation that dates back to the Phoenicians, who also introduced carob and almond trees to the island. For centuries, Greeks and Phoenicians traded the prized Sicilian olive oil, and transported it throughout the Mediterranean in special amphorae. After lagging behind the rest of Italy for decades, Sicily now boasts three DOPs (Denomanazione Di Origine). Because Sicily is mountainous, the island produces oils are every bit as grassy and throat catching as classic Tuscan oils.

Tuscany

Tuscany olive oil is clear, and a deep, almost emerald green, color. It has an intense olive smell, a peppery flavor and is fruity, with a taste reminiscent of fresh greens, artichokes and tomatoes. People crave that peppery, herbaceous taste. Part of that Tuscan pepperiness ' referred to as 'grip' by some olive oil aficionados because of the way it grabs the back of the throat ' comes from moraiolo olives (frantoio and leccino are also widely used). These olives are picked when barely ripe, particularly in the hills of Chianti, to avoid harvest-killing frosts. So what you get in classic Tuscan oils is a young, greenish quality that may seem harsh to some palates.

Oddly enough, the Tuscan oils also have more fruitiness than do those made from riper olives. We find that the sea of the Italian Riviera modifies the cold winter's effects. Riviera cuisine is based on olive oil, meat, and seafood. Unquestionably, it is the olive oil that characterizes Tuscan food because the dishes are simple -- this is the center for Italian cattle farming, is noted for its seafood, and the fish/meat from here is roasted, grilled or fried -- without elaborate sauces. Tuscany stretches from LaSpezia to Rome -- and is the birthplace of Chianti Classico.

Umbria

Bordering Tuscany to the east and the south, Umbria produces some of the best oils coming out of Itay. The landscape isn't dramatically different from Tuscany's, but the climate is a bit warmer, so Umbrian olives are able to mature. You can use the smooth and silky Umbrian oils much like the Tuscan oils, but we reserve them for less robust dishes, and drizzle them on bean or vegetable soups, like the Umbrians do.

Veneto

There are three sub-denominations with their own region and olive varieties within the Veneto DOP: Veneto del Grappa, Veneto Valpolicella and Veneto Euganei e Berici. As a result, there are variations between the olive oils, but generally the oil from this region tends to have an intense, fruity flavor with a rich, golden color.

Producers in regions such as Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Latium, and Marche, make some good olive oils that are unfortunately, hard to find. This is because there isn't yet a great demand for them and distribution systems in these regions are poor. Some oils show a harvest or an expiration date. Pay attention to these dates, and keep in mind that olive oil is ideally consumed within 18 to 24 months of production ' younger and fresher always tastes better. As oils age, they lose that intense fruitiness and any peppery edge they may have ever had. So don't hoard the new Sicilian treat you discovered on your last rip to Italy. There is no point in trying to impress your friends with old oil.

Italians are master blenders -- and we find their oil generally lighter, thinner (and some would say) blander than Spanish...so as not to dominate the food. However, if the oil is pale green, the olives are picked when the olives started turning purple. If the oil is very pale, it means that the olives were picked when ripe, after they turned black. The 'riper' the olive, the more 'oily' the flavor, and the more pronounced the olive taste. Some say that the best olive oil is made in odd-numbered years, although this cannot be said to be a hard or fast rule. The green reflections, characteristic of fruity and tender-tart liquids, correspond to olives that have not reached maturity; glints of golden yellow correspond to sweet olives, harvested late in the season.

The Italian government created a Denominzaion di Origine (DOC) system for olive oil. The DOC law went into effect in 1992. The regulations will apply only to Extra Virgin/Virgin olive oil -- those that contain no more than 2% of oleic acid. Furthermore, the oils must be cold pressed, and cannot be chemically extracted. The Agriculture Ministry set up a National Committee for the Oversight of the DOC law for Oils, which as well designates production zone boundaries and quality standards for each zone, and enforces regulations. The law also provides for establishment of an official tasting commission in each DOC zone to taste/approve oils before they can be sold.

To check against fraud, DOC law dictates that producers list their trees/orchards in registrars maintained by professional organizations. Producers will have to keep records of shipments, including names of bottlers, shippers, or dealers that take delivery of the oil. The Agriculture Ministry has launched a campaign to prevent fraud in the making of olive oil in Italy...approximately 1200 random samples were collected from Italy's retail outlets and analyzed to see that they meet production/processing requirements. This is not unlike the samples they took from the United States the past ten years -- and had analyzed. We can report that we passed with flying colors.

In Italy, there are flavors to please every palate, as there are probably the greatest diversity of olives to be found anywhere in the world. Olive oil is very much a matter of personal taste, and to compare the olive oils of different countries is invidious. It is certainly true that the oils of Italy offer a different organoleptic experience from the golden oils of Spain, or the robust oils of Greece. Our grandmother would only admonish us to use 'Bono Olio'-- good oil.

In London, there is a famous joke about an impoverished noble who used to make ends meet by attending receptions with the duty of 'salad dresser' since he knew hundreds of different dressings. Would he have done the same in Italy, he would have died from starvation. In Italy, the only way to dress one's salad is with olive oil, some vinegar, a pinch of salt, maybe some spices. For the Italians this is the rule, while abroad this is called 'Italian dressing'. However, there is an old Italian adage that it takes four people to make a salad: A miser to pour the vinegar'a spendthrift for the olive oil'a wise man to season it'and a madman to toss it all about!

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Middle East/North Africa
A Moroccan Berber tribesman may well have been the first to coax the wild olive into an oil-bearing tree. Centuries before Christ, ancient Greek colonists grew olives on the northeast edge of the Sahara. Later, the Romans cultivated groves all along the North African coast, where they still flourish, and are an integral part of the landscape.

The food of this region is unthinkable without olive oil. Almost all of their olive oil is either consumed locally, or sold for blending on the international market. Israel, Lebanon, Syria, and Turkey are significant producers. Morocco is a huge exporter of olives, but less so of oil. Tunisia is the largest producer of olive oil outside the EU. In reality, Moroccans/Tunisians tend to like their olive oil with up to 5% acidity - and to many Western palates this would be unacceptable.

Algeria/Libya consume a great part of what they produce. They rarely export, and both import to satisfy their domestic consumption. Israel is a leader in the science and technology of cultivation, but is not a big producer. Syria/Turkey are the largest producers in the Middle East, according to IOCC figures. Many of the pressing methods follow the old rules: they are relaxed, and fairly low-tech. A tiny volume of oil from Lebanon is exported to Europe/US, where there are Lebanese populations. War has not aided the expansion of the industry, but olives/olive oil have played a major role in their superb cuisine, so there is room for optimism as the economy/trading links recover.

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Portugal
Portugal's olive oil is delicious, and fruity. It used to be that the Portuguese preferred to keep their fruit for a week before it went to press - so it has an acquired taste, but this is now changing. Portugal is a big consumer of olive oil, so unable to meet its own domestic demand, and must import from Spain. Olive oil is an essential part of Iberian cooking - both the Portuguese/Spanish people have a passion for life and pleasure, which permeates the way they eat, drink, work, and take their leisure. For thousands of years, the olive tree and its products have been integral to their ceremonies, consciousness, rituals, vocabulary ' as well as to the dining habits of the Mediterranean in general, and Portugal/Spain in particular.

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South Africa
How far does the South African olive industry have to go in terms of world standards? When it comes to the quality of the producrts they are already there, but they do need to do ongoing research with crops, the breeding of new cultivars, looking at new ways of fighting insecets, etc. Olives have been planted there since about 1920, but only really took off around the late 1950s and 1960s. The whole industry was about 95% table olive oriented.

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Spain
The olive was probably introduced to Spain by the Carthaginians in the 4th - 5th century BC, when they controlled much of the Iberian Peninsula. Between 60-65 AD, olive oil from the south of Spain started to be traded in Rome, as Italian oil production was insufficient to meet domestic demand -- which continues today. It is interesting, that the Spanish words for 'olive' and 'oil' (aceituna and aceite), were derived from the Arabic, 'al-zait', and not from the Latin of the Romans 'oleo'. This is a legacy from the 700 years of rule by the Moors. Spanish olive oil (aceite de oliva) has a strong assertive flavor with a thick consistency.

In Spain, 10% of total cultivated land is planted with olive trees. This is 215 million trees, spread over 5.1 million acres. An estimated 12 million trees have been planted in the last decade. Spain produces almost 50% of the world's production, Italy 25%, Greece 20%. California is responsible for - of 1% - with Australia and South America less. Spain's consumption/export of olive oil was 1,100,000 metric tons in 2003. There are 40 million Spanish olive oil business represents over 120,000 fulltime jobs. A stacgering 50 million works pays were in to the 2005 harugs, season.

While Spain produces more than 250 varieties of different olives, and there are as many varieties of table oils in Spain, as there are zones of production. There are four major varieties: Picual, which represents approximately 50% of the production; Cornicabra, from Central Spain; Arbequina, grown in Catalonia; and Hojiblance, from Adalusia. The names are generally associated with the tree, leaf color/size, the shape of the fruit, area of production, or the oil obtained. Spain is traditionally the leading producer of olive oil, with an average annual production of 600-700,000 metric tons. Four of Spain's well-defined production zones are designated: Baena, Les Garrigues, Sierra De Segura, and Siurana. Andalusia, which comprises eight provinces, accounts for 80% of Spanish production, the equivalent of the average production of Greece, the #3 (196M gallons per year) producer worldwide.

Distribution among the Spanish provinces is approximately:

The most widely grown variety of all olives is the Picual, which represents 97% of the trees in Jaen and 37% in Cordova. 50% of Spanish olives are of the Picual variety, which is 20% of the world's olives, and accounts for 82% of all Spanish olive oil. This is a vigorous tree with a well-developed canopy. The fruit is ellipsoidal and medium to large sized, and the oil yield is high, about 27-28%, although the average is about 22%. The oil is bright gold, pleasantly fruity in aroma, and pungent in taste. Maturation takes place between the second weeks of November - third week of December. It usually contains 75-80% of monounsaturated oleic acid, and a low linoleic acid content of about 4%. Picual olives have encouraged the introduction of low-level irrigation/planting in new areas, which has produced less bitter/peppery oils.

The Hojiblanca olive (white leaf) gets its name from the silvery color of the underside of the leaves, Cornicabra (Goat's Horn) from the shape of the fruit, Arbequina from its town of origin (Arbeca), etc. The Hojiblanca variety represents about 15% of Spanish olive trees, and is grown from the north of Malaga, to the south of Cordova, and east of Seville. The tree is of average size, the fruit-bearing branches are long, and the canopy is of medium density. The fruit is oblong-shaped and weighs about 1.4 grams. The average oil yield of about 17-19% from the Hojiblanca is lower than that of the Picual variety. The oil is bittersweet and green to gold, and brings out flavors of fried food. It has about 75-77% oleic acid, and an average linoleic acid content of 7-8%. The Cornicabra and Lechin varieties are next in popularity, each representing about 12%. The Cornicabra tree is of average size with medium-length branches. The fruit weighs between 3-3.5 grams and average oil yield is 23%. It is highly sensitive to cold, is pampered, and of outstanding quality. The Lechin tree is also of medium size and has short branches. Fruit size is fairly large, from 3.5 to 3.8 grams and average oil yield is 25%.

Spanish extra virgin olive oils are designated by 'Denominacion de Origen' (officially demarcated producing areas). Vineyards are given an appellation D' Origine, an accolade equivalent to a French controlled label for extra virgin olive oils. In essence, then, the Denomination of Origin does for agricultural authenticity what the 'Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval' offered for home goods years ago - a certification that what's inside the appropriately labeled package is indeed what you think it is.

The idea of the Denomination of Origin was introduced in Spain in 1932, used originally for wine, later for foods. Sixty years late, the European Community set up what is now known as a 'Protected Designation of Origin' (known in Spain as 'Denominacion De Origen Protegida') or 'DOP'. There are in fact three 'grades' of Denomination of Origin in use at this time. In descending order of difficulty to obtain they are:

Protected Denomination of Origin;
Protected Geographical Indication;
Traditional Specialty Guaranteed

A Denomination, then, is simply a geographic space. Key elements are the varieties of plants grown there, the local ecosystem, and the tradition of quality and food safety. A D.O. label guarantees all of these things.

However, the existing Denominations will also see changes during the next five years. They all will be implementing European norms and ISOs that guarantee certification processes, laboratory methods and environment-friendly milling (such as EN45011, 45001 and ISO 14000). At the same time, quality criteria will continue to shift away from the subjective tasting panels to laboratory characterization.

There are 30 D.O.s. with responsible for over 1500 brands. Catalonia has two D.O.s: Les Garrigues (also called Borjas Blancas) and Siurana. The two D.O.s in Andalusia are Baena and Sierra de Segura.

Two of the four regions, and unique characters of the oils from these regions are outlined below:

Denominacion de Origen (DO)

  1. Andalusia, in the south, has two DO's - Sierra De Segura province of Jaen, and Baena in Cordoba. This region primarily produces Picudo and Picual varieties. They are noble oils, with a notable sweet olive taste, fruity shadows, full flavored, rounded, with an exquisite finish and aftermath.
  2. Catalonia, in the north, has two DO's: Borjas Blancas in the province of Lerida, and Siurana in the province of Tarragona. This region produces the highly regarded Arbequina olive. They produce smooth, sweet oils, not at all spicy, with an after-taste of dried fruit and more than a hint of almond depending on when the crop is harvested. The oil is labeled either 'frutado' or 'dulce'. Frutado is the early harvest, has a green tint, and a pleasant taste of bitter almonds. Our oil is 'dulce' which comes from later harvests, is gold in color, and sweeter in taste.

We buy our oil from Andalusia (Cordoba) and Catalonia (Tortosa) -- where we find rich soil, good climate, and the best Spanish port and wine. Spanish oil produces a golden oil, because our olives are picked just after ripening. Our oil is packed in January through March. Our Andalusian oil is characteristically fruity, and fragrant. Well-made oils from this region are full flavored, rounded, and have an exquisite finish and long-lasting aftertaste. Our Catalonian oils are low on astringency, sweet and smooth with no edge, typically enjoy a clean, almond aroma, and excellent flavor. Our producers blend our olive oil to create a flavor precisely to our specifications, so it is consistent from year to year. Oils from the North (Catalonia) tend to be more delicate, perhaps a bit fruitier. Oils from Andalusia (in the south) are bolder, more herbaceous, meaning there's a sensation of freshly cut grass. Generally the oils from the north go with delicate dishes, such as whitefish. Oils from the south, because they're bolder, stand up better to braised meats. Spanish oils are golden and buttery.

It may be our next idea to bottle first-harvest afrutados (fruity oils), made from olives picked six weeks before the rest of the crop to reveal stronger, greener, fresher flavors.

One new focus of interest among producers is packaging designed to keep olive oil at its best, by avoiding exposure to light/oxygen as:

Spain is the world's leading producer of olive oil, with an average annual production of 6-700,000 metric tons. Spanish consumption of extra virgin increased 14% in 2002.

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Turkey
The 1st Annual Eurasia Olive, Olive Oil & Processes Fair, kicked off January 25, 2007, with a show of force from Turkish olive oil producers whose aim is a closer collaboration with global producers to better compete in today's world market.

Hundreds of guest attended the fair, including international press and dignitaries. Amongst them was International Olive & Olive Oil Council (IOOC) president Habib Essid, who traveled not only to the fair, but to olive oil production areas in the region of Izmir. Turkey, which is not currently a member of the IOOC, is expected to rejoin the international coalition, as well as develop its own global promotional campaigns for its high-quality olive oil production, according to Undersecretary of Foreign Trade Mustafa Sever. He added that the overnment will continue to provide incentives for exports and branding efforts.

'The IOOC will help us to solve problems for Turkish producers. We are working to find a balance between production and pricing,' said Ali Nedim Gureli, chairman of the Aegean Olive and Olive Oil Exporters Association. 'We need to create Turkish brand names, globally acceptable brand names, and be realistic with our sales goals. Our promotional efforts will focus on discovering what the image of Turkey is globally, and educating them to the fact we are an oil-producting nation.'

While Turkish consumption of table olives is very high, consumption of olive oil is very low (1 kilo per capita) compared to surrounding Mediterranean countries. More thatn 95% of the world's olive lil comes from Mediterranean countries. Turkey accounts of 2.5 million tons of olive oil, and 1.3 million tons of table olives. It also ranks 4th in the world for surface area planted with olive trees.

Next to Italy, Spain, Turkey is the third largest olive producing country in the world. It is estimated that Turkey has 90,000,000 olive trees. The origin of the olive oil tree in Turkey is lost in time. We do know that the olive tree is one of the oldest cultured plants of Anatolia (Turkey). There are records indicating that the olive was known in Anatolia even before the Greeks. Tests have finally been deciphered which show that a fruit known as the 'zertum' was known, and widely used by the local people in the time of the Akkadians. The Turks acquaintance with olive oil began with their migration from the steps of Central Asia'taking over Anatolia from the Eastern Roman Empire...eventually other nations lived in Anatolia with the Turks, and eventually blended in the Ottoman melting pot. In Homer's Troy, near Ayvalik, there are 2,000 year old trees. Turkey's coastline is the longest on the Mediterranean. As a substantial portion of Turkey is in the Mediterranean basin, olive oil traditions run deep. Although Turkey is in many ways a modern nation that embraces its European heritage, it still revels in its ancient Turkish history. The Ottoman Empire is often thought to have been established in 1453, When Sultan Mahomet II crushed Christian Byzantines by conquering Constantinople (now Istanbul), and establishing a Muslim Dynasty in its place.

But, in fact, the Ottoman house as founded by Sultan Osman more than 150 years earlier, when the first olive oil wrestling tournament at Edirne (where contestants use tons of olive oil, and bouts used to last days to pin one's opponent to the ground) were held nearly 700 years ago. Wrestlers were stripped to the waist, wore leather pants, and were drenched with olive oil from head to toe (3 tons were consumed this way at each years tournament). Olive oil dishes have always had a place of pride in Ottoman cuisine. A bowl of cold pressed olive oil is brought to the table every morning, where ground oregano and red pepper are added. Bread is toasted, then dipped into the flavored oil. Olives are always chosen first in Turkish meals. Rich or poor, the Muslim always breaks his fast with olives. For centuries Turkey has exported substantial quantities to Italy, Greece, Russia, and the Middle East.

We continue to use the olive of Ayvalik. It's 300 acre production center in Ayvalik has the largest oil refinery in the Mediterranean. Its total capacity exceeds 150,000 tons which is greater than USA imports. Our supplier originally set up a small oil mill on the island of Lesvos in 1878. Its ambition was to produce an exceptional olive oil: an olive oil that was light and easily digestible, yet rich in flavor and delicate aroma; a product that would do justice to Homer's description of olive oil as 'liquid gold'. Indeed, soon after its foundation the company became purveyor of olive oil to the Imperial household of the Ottoman sultans.

An important part of the secret behind our Turkish olive oil lies in the fruit from which it was - and still is - extracted: the ancient olive groves of Ayvalik situated on Turkey's northwestern coast are regarded as among the Mediterranean's finest, with their sun-drenched olives providing a clear, amber-colored, exquisitely flavored oil.

Turkey is the third largest olive oil source to the United States - after Italy/Spain.

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Uses

Since olive oil consists of mostly mono-unsaturated (omega 9) and saturated fatty acids (palmitic), it can be used in cold dishes as well as for baking and cooking.

Extra virgin olive oil enriches a bean soup or grilled toast, and should be used as the primary ingredient in a thick mayonnaise, or to smooth the texture of a pasta sauce. . Season a dish with extra virgin olive oil, by drizzling the oil over the prepared food. Too, extra virgin olive oil works best in dishes with a multiple of ingredients (as casseroles), or with any vegetable, fish, or meat dishes that cry out for the taste of the fruit. Pour the oil into a plastic tub and freeze. When solid, remove to the refrigerator for storage, and use as a spread, in place of butter or margarine. Extra virgin is the most flavorful, and flavors break down at 140?F. It has a low smoke point, around 300?F, so the extra virgin flavors are wasted in baking, frying and saut'ing.

Extra Light/Pomace are newer and preferred in subtle/delicate dishes - so as not to dominate the flavor. Extra light olive oil is 'light' only in color/taste, but the number of calories and content of fat is the same as in other olive oil blends.

Pure oil (Riviera blend) is excellent for general cooking, and makes or breaks a salad dressing. Olive oil is often used for frying and saut'ing. The smoke, flash and fire points of pure olive oil are as follows:

Smoke point:  437º F/ 225º C
Flash & Fire point:  650º F

Knowing an oil's smoke point in important to determine its appropriate use ' once an ooil exceeds its smoke point, it begins to break down and is no longer suited to consumption.

These are general guidelines. Each manufature's processing will differ slightly, so refer to product specifications for exact temperatures.

Oil Smoke Point
Almond 420' F
Avocado 520º F
Canola, refined 400º F
Grape seed 420º F
Hazelnut 430º F
Macadamia 410º F
Olive 440º F
Olive, extra virgin 405º F
Olive, pomace 460º F
Olive, virgin 420º F
Peanut, roasted, unrefined 320º F
Pecan 470º F
Pumpkin seed, unrefined* 250º F
Sesame seed, unrefined 350º F
Soybean, refined 495º F
Walnut 400º F
* Hay River pumpkin seed oil

Pure olive oil coats the food, rather than being absorbed, thus sealing in the food's flavor, with no greasiness. Because pure olive oil is stable at higher temperatures, and contains antioxidants, you can filter olive oil after frying and use it 4-5x. You can 'freshen' the oil by frying a slice of lemon and a large cube of bread in it, then reuse. Too, due to its antioxidants, olive oil will even keep those baked goods fresher, longer. Avoid putting olive oil in plastic containers, as the oil can absorb some of the compounds used in the plastic.

In our house, we take seriously the old Italian admonition, 'young oil, old wine'. The biggest enemy of olive oil is oxidation, but properly capped (allowing no air to enter) olive oil will keep longer than all other edible oils'up to two years. Extra virgin will last one year. If you place your oil in a refrigerator, the last to solidify will be the extra virgin oil. Too, the oil with the lowest acidity will freeze in a solid base. Iodine in vegetable oil helps determine shelf life. As the iodine level increases, the shelf life decreases. Olive oil has the lowest level of iodine...walnut, for instance, the highest.

Olive oil should be stored in opaque containers (preferably with screw-type tops), be protected from light, kept in a cool cupboard, and stored in airtight containers...so our grandmother taught us. Refrigeration can make olive oil cloudy, and thick...but just bring the oil to room temperature, (it will clear), then serve.

Although 42% of supermarket olive oil buyers surveyed by Gallup for the American Olive Oil Association (AOOA) believe usage is confined to gourmet/specialty cooking, the Gallup survey found:

The U.S. olive oil business in France, Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey is small, and hardly volatile - but consistently grows. The reason that many olive oil companies run into financial problems (suppliers) is that they speculate in seed oil business (safflower, etc.). One packer's advice is 'put your money into wine and women instead - you'll get the same return, and have a lot more fun'. In Arab countries, they eat oil and use it as a hair tonic. In India, they put it on their hair but do not eat it. Americans like light oils, Mexicans like it darker and spicier, and Arabs want it green and sweet ' They eat a lot of bread and like to 'plaint' their breads.

Chefs create infused oils by mixing items such as herbs, garlic and peppers with the olive oil, letting the oil soak up the flavors, and then pouring the mixture into bottle. Sanitized glass bottles with screw on lids should be used for oils that will be stored, but plastic squirt bottles are convenient for infused oils that will be used right away. Glass is neutral and a better conductor of temperature, so it's better for storing oils, and glass keeps the oil cooler without imparting any flavors into the infusion. Infused oils double as table decorations. You can layer oils, like a red-pepper oil on the bottom, next a green chive oil, and a saffron yellow oil on top to get a festive look. Chefs say that infused oils can act as a substitute when fresh herbs are not available. If they want to have the aroma of an herb when it's out of season, then they infuse (the dried herb) into the oil.

The U.S. olive oil market is still minuscule by European standards. North Americans consume about 1.5 tablespoons/year, while the average Italian uses 6.5 gallons! Olive oil is now found in 18% of American households. Consumption of olive oil is found primarily in the Northeast, Middle Atlantic, and the West...10 markets have a consumer development index of over 100. New York is the most developed, and alone accounts for 35% of the olive oil sold. The Northeast, California, and Florida are #1,-2-3. Eleven markets contain 21% of the U.S. population, but 41% of olive oil sales.

Olive oil household penetration is most prevalent in the Northeast at 56%, with the West at 27%. Olive oil use increases with age, and our U.S. population is aging. By the year 2000, the 35-54 age segment will account for 66% of the U.S. population, and 50% of the spending power. Education/knowledge would make the business explode if consumers were as aware as the top 10 markets...it is but one reason that our own advertising expenditures have doubled.

We have mentioned that olive oil has become the fastest growing segment within the cooking oil category. Olive oil sales have increased due to a three-fold influence:

tradition (past)    economics (present)    health (future)

In the past, consumption was concentrated with ethnic groups tied to the Mediterranean. Today, the greatest usage of olive oil occurs among the more affluent, educated, and health conscious. Our target audience is defined as women 25-54, college-educated, with $40,000+ in annual income. Consumers who use olive oil spend nearly 15% more per supermarket trip than those who don't use it.

What is bought today is an investment in your health tomorrow. So let us speak, briefly, to the health aspect of olive oil - which has led to its sales explosion.

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Health Characteristics
For centuries, the benefits of olive oil nutritionally, cosmetically, and medicinally have been recognized by the people of the Mediterranean.

Olive oil was used to maintain the suppleness of skin and muscle, to heal abrasions, and to soothe the burning and drying effects of sun and water. Olive oil was administered both internally, and externally ' for health and beauty. Olive oil has been used by some Italian doctors as an antidote for 'pessimism'. While there's no guarantee that adding olive oil to your diet will change you personality, it can improve your overall health.

Olive oil stimulates bone development by favoring the absorption of calcium and its mineralization. This is necessary for growth, during menopause, the elderly and all those who suffer from lack of calcium. Olive oil reduces the level of glucose in diabetic patients not dependent on insulin. Olive oil is rich in essential fatty acids necessary for our body to provide energy and allow absorption of soluble vitamins. Due to its vitamin and antioxidant content, olive oil helps prevent acne and eczema, hydrates and protect the skin from external aggressions, stopping the formation of free radicals and delays facial aging. Olive oil improves the running of the stomach, pancreas and intestinal systems, as well as acting as an anticoagulant reducing the possibility of blood clots.

Recent research has now provided firm proof that a Mediterranean-style diet, which includes olive oil, is not only generally healthy, but that consuming olive oil can actually help lower bad-type LDL cholesterol. Olive oil contains antioxidants that discourage artery clogging and chronic diseases, including cancer.

There are three kinds of dietary fats - Saturated (animal/tropical), Polyunsaturated (plants, seeds, nuts, vegetable oils), and Monounsaturated (olive oil) - classified according to their chemical composition. From a nutritional standpoint, all olive oils are the same (average): 77% monounsaturated, 14% saturated, and 9% polyunsaturated.

'You can use margarine in place of butter in any recipe,' James Beard once intoned, 'all you lose is the taste of butter.' I have never had a great fondness for margarine, so when I decided to stop smearing butter on toast in the morning, I switched to olive oil. I was thinking in terms of fat at the time. The saturated fat in butter bodes ill for the body. The monounsaturated fat in olive oil lowers LDLs but leaves the HDLs alone.

Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature. Polyunsaturated fats are usually liquid at room temperature.

Olive oil is enriched with vitamins, A, B-1, B-2, C, D, E and K, and is strong in iron. Olive oil, which offers benefits to the digestive system, does not necessarily keep you thin - it contains just as many calories as other oils...namely, 115 - 125 per tablespoon.

Olive oil acts as a light laxative, and is a friend to the intestine - and an enemy of ulcers, and gastritis. Olive oil is a good tonic, with specific influence for people suffering from heart disease. According to the Lyon Diet Heart Study, olive oil may protect against heart disease. The study showed that heart attack patients who followed a Mediterranean diet -in which olive oil and canola oil were the primary sources of fat ' dramatically reduced their incidents of new heart disease. (deLorgeril, Michel, et al, 'Mediterranean dietary pattern in a randomized trial.' Archives of Internal Medicine, 1998; 158: 1181-1187) Olive oil has been regarded as the 'beauty oil' - more than skin deep ' the body's cells incorporate valuable fatty acids from the oil, making arteries more supple, and skin more lustrous.

A study reported in the Journal of Dermatological Science finds that the daily topical use of extra virgin olive oil after sun bathing may help prevent skin cancer. (Ichihashi, Masamitso, et al. 'Preventative effect of antioxidant on ultraviolet-induced skin cancer in mice' Journal of Dermatological Science, 2000; 23: S45-S50) A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that the consumption of olive oil ' and cooked vegetables ' helps reduce the risk of people developing rheumatoid arthritis. The high level of unsaturated fatty acids found in olive oil may help suppress the inflammation associated with rheumatoid arthritis. ( Linos, Athena, et al. 'Dietary factors in the relationship to rheumatoid arthritis: a role for olive oil and cooked vegetables' American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1999; 70: 1077-82)

The amount of oleic acid in olive oil is about the same as that found in mother's milk. A study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine suggests that the consumption of olive oil - and other oils high in monounsaturated fat - helps reduce women's chances of developing breast cancer. (Wolk, Alicja, et al. 'A prospective study of association of monounsaturated fat and other types of fat with risk of breast cancer: Archives of Internal Medicine. 1998; 158: 41-45) Drunk before a meal, olive oil protects the stomach from ulcers.

If a spoon or two is taken with lemon or coffee, it prevents constipation without irritating the intestinal tract. It is also effective in treating urinary tract infections and gall bladder problems. Research shows that olive oil may play a role in preventing colon cancer.

A recent study from the University of Oxford shows a possible correlation between countries with a higher consumption of olive oil, such as in the Mediterranean, and lower rates of colon cancer. (Stoneham, Michael, et al. 'Olive oil, diet and colorectal cancer; and ecological study and a hypothesis,: Journal of Epidemial Community Health', 2000; 54: 756-760) It is a perfect remedy for gastritis in children hastens brain development and strengthens the bones. Olive oil dissolves clots in capillaries, has been found to lower the degree of absorption of edible fats, and consequently slows down the aging process. Olive oil enjoys anti-anemic, diuretic, emollient, and hypoglycemizing properties.

Only animal-derived foods contain cholesterol. Plant foods are cholesterol-free. Olive oil, then, is cholesterol-free. Cholesterol is not all bad - it is an essential building block for cell membranes, nerve fiber coverings, vitamin D, and sex hormones. The trouble is, the body manufactures all the cholesterol it needs, so any cholesterol in foods we eat, results in an excess. Excess cholesterol causes a gradual accumulation of fatty deposits and connective tissue, known as plaque, along the walls of blood vessels. Eventually, plaque builds up, narrows the arteries, and reduces blood flow - increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Cholesterol is manufactured in the liver. In order to circulate through the bloodstream, it is 'packaged' in fatty-protein wrappings called 'lipoproteins'. The low-density lipoproteins (LDL) distribute cholesterol throughout the body, dropping it off, where needed. The liver also packages another type of cholesterol called high-density lipoproteins (HDL), which picks-up circulating cholesterol and returns it to the liver for reprocessing, or excretion. The LDL's are the ones that build up the walls of the arteries, and so are tagged 'bad' cholesterol.

The composition of olive oil shows:

Polyunsaturated oils lower LDL ('bad') and HDL ('good') levels. Cholesterol is not the issue here - the problem is polyunsaturated oil itself, the use of which has tripled in the American diet since 1900. Monounsaturated oils (such as olive oil), lower only LDL cholesterol, leaving HDL to help clean out arteries. Olive oil, then, has become the 'guilt-free' fat.

Be sure to make fat less than 25% of your total calories per day. Pay attention to the kinds of fat you eat. Favor vegetable oils, those rich in monounsaturated fat, as olive oils. Oils are always 100% fat with about 135 calories per tablespoon. All fats provide 9 calories per gram, which makes them the highest energy-producing nutrient in our food supply. We see in a 250 ml (1 tablespoon) serving size of olive oil: 14 grams of fat ' which can be broken down into '2 grams of polyunsaturated fat, 10 grams of monounsaturated fat, and 2 grams of saturated fat, with 0 grams cholesterol. Olive oil has 120 calories per tablespoon (9 calories per gram of oil), which is the same as all cooking/salad oils. But, because of its greater aroma/flavor, you may use less oil when cooking, thus cutting fat calories even further.

Olive oil is not hydrogenated. Hydrogenation is a process that makes liquid oils hard. Hydrogenation produces a more stable product that is less likely to oxidize and changes a normally liquid oil to a semi-solid or solid fat, such as margarine or shortening. Hydrogenation prevents rancidity by saturating unsaturated fats. Hydrogenization occurs when hydrogen is bubbled through the oil at very high temperatures in a sealed vat. Metals deteriorate oils very quickly, so when they add nickel as a catalyst, it reacts with the hydrogen, which shifts the molecule and gives a greater stiffness to the chain.

Our Napoleon Olive Oil is pressed expressly for us. Ripe olives are picked, processed by hand, spread on the ground, and warmed briefly by the sun. The leaves are removed, then the olives are carried in nets to the expeller-press ('Frantoio') in antiseptic quarters. There they are ground by mill stone or metallic crusher into a heavy paste which is softened and pressed on hemp mats, stacked in a hydraulic press (or placed into centrifugal drums) to separate the oil from the water into a dark liquid (what the Italians call 'Inferno' or hell).

The end result is a gold or greenish-gold color oil, water cleaned - but never bleached, deodorized, or extracted with chemical solvents.

There are only two materials that will yield enough oil without heat - sesame seeds and olives...the only oils, then, which can truly be called 'Cold Pressed'. We will briefly cover organic olive oil later.

Which is better? French, Greek, Italian or Spanish? Extra Virgin or Extra Light? We present to you, and your customer, a choice. Our ads - billboards, paper, radio, and TV create the theme 'Different, yes. Better? No. But now a choice'.

In answer to the question, which is better? - Olive oil should be bought for taste, and use. We consistently demo, as there is no relationship between price and quality, only taste and quality.

The price of olive oil is generally 2-5 times higher than other edible oils, due to the nature of olive cultivation and processing. Unlike an annually grown crop such as soybeans, olive trees grow very slowly, bearing fruit after five years, and reach full maturity only after twenty years. The costs of plowing, fertilizing, pruning, pest control, harvesting, and production take large jumps each year. We find the cost of olive oil to vary due primarily to three things:

The North American Olive Oil Association offers a handy conversion guide to use. To use olive oil in baking, substitute a mild or light flavor. For all vegetable oils, follow this conversion chart:

Butter Oil
1 teaspoon butter 3/4 teaspoon oil
1 tablespoon butter 2-1/4 teaspoons oil
2 tablespoons butter 1-1/2 tablespoons oil
1/4 cup butter 3 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup butter 1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil
2/3 cup butter 1/2 cup oil
3/4 cup butter 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon oil
1 cup butter 3/4 cup oil

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