THE TRUE EVOO MANIFESTO
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We support a sustainable consumption, and want to provide an actual response to the growing demand for greater transparency and attention to foot ethics.
This is why we've come up with 10 principles to help you understand when you are dealing with a True Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and make a conscious choice.
If the law requires gold, demand diamonds
Do not settle for the parameters set out by current regulations to define what is an Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Ask for more, much more.
For instance, the better the oil, the more its acidity will be close to zero. According to the law, the acidity shouldn't be higher than 0.8%. Our Extra Virgin Olive Oils never exceed 0.3% of acidity.
Defects do not make it more interesting
In order for it to be a True Extra Virgin Olive Oil, it should pass the chemical analysis (most common) and the organoleptic/sensory analysis (that few companies actually do), based on a Panel test (a group of professional tasters), which gives an overall score on: variety of cultivars used, level of olive ripening and management, oil extraction process and production conservation conditions.
A true extra virgin olive oil can only be produced when the olives are picked directly from the tree, at the beginning of veraison (still green), in an excellent state of preservation and extracted from the olive pulp a few hours after harvesting.
It doesn't have a snotty nose
A True EVO oil is an explosion of vegetables: it has a scent of freshly-cut grass, artichoke, tomato leaves, fresh fruit, banana, almond, aromatic herbs. The important thing is that it is never odourless, nor does it smell like fried food or grease.
If you perceive something else, it is not an extra virgin olive oil.
It should be preserved with care, like a great memory.
Oil is a live product. As soon as it is bottled, it slowly starts ageing, and if it is not preserved correctly, it loses its "extra virgin" nature in just a few months.
This is why it should be store in a dry and cool place, away from heat sources. And away from light and air, to prevent oxidation, and at an optimal temperature comprised between 14° and 18°.
Quality helps to preserve it for longer.
It doesn't feel young, it is young
Oil suffers ageing, and it has a minimum preservation time, during which its organoleptic properties remain unchanged. This is not a very long period. This is why it is preferable to purchase an oil from the latest oil harvest and consume it within 18 months from its extraction.
The dress makes the EVO
The best material to preserve oil is glass, provided that it is dark, to protect it against light. Also, it should include an anti-topping cap and a nice packaging, because looks also count.
It strains and decants
Extra Virgin Olive Oil needs to be filtered to remove the tiny impurities that tend to deposit on the bottom of the bottle and that may compromise its integrity and preservation times.
Its richness is your happiness
EVO oil is rich in polyphenols - powerful natural antioxidants that help protect blood lipids from oxidative stress. 20 grams (approx. 2 tablespoons) of raw oil a day, consumed within a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle, help to obtain this beneficial effect.
It's not just food. It's superfood
A key ingredient of the Mediterranean diet, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is not just a simple condiment. It is officially one of the functional ingredients with many important benefits for our health.
It's a precise, yet never pedantic partner
Extra Virgin Olive Oil should be used and paired according to specific methods. However, there is one way to never get it wrong in the kitchen: just pair it based on consistency. Delicate food goes with light oil, more robust food goes with intense and bolder oil. The dish should "support" the sensory strength or delicacy of the oil, and an oil should harmonically accompany the composition of flavours and scents of a dish.