Planet Olive page 3 of 3

The 2015 olive harvest in Carpino, a town in northern Apulia, Italy. A vision made of images. The farmers pick swiftly. Nobody can say that this year, there are no olives.

Italian oil has always been in great favour throughout the entire history of human civilization, but now the time has come for a new set of rules. Oleologist (oil specialist) Mr. Luigi Caricato has drafted a charter, underlining how any time can mark a new beginning for the Italian extra virgin olive oil producers. History consists of continuous steps forward, and these “Ten Commandments” define the roadmap for all future developments in this sector.

Much has been said about how our knowledge of extra virgin olive oils has increased among its consumers, and consequently, how we are now able to discern their true quality. But is it really so? Perhaps only in part

Choose A Flavour. Technical guide on the use of registered extra virgin olive oils. Sensory analysis is carried out by a “test panel”, i.e. an official tasting group of specialists qualified in using approved methods. A test panel is an essential tool for both checking oil quality highlighting the uniqueness of the end product

Expertise. How to manage vegetation water? Their direct application on agricultural lands brings positive effects but negative too. What to do? The aerobic treatments seem to be a solution. Up to now it has been tested a number of microorganisms, used in pure culture or pool cultivation. Also the composting represents a further useful strategy

Alicia Suarez, from the Department of Flemish Art at the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, is currently investigating the history of international trade between Flanders and other countries. Below is a picture by a 17th-century Flemish artist, depicting a plateful of olives. Of what variety?

A series of rules and procedures to establish what to do and what to avoid in order to produce and preserve high quality olive oil in a perfect way. If these rules are respected, extra virgin olive oil will keep its High Quality characteristics until consumption

Everybody keeps saying “it’s excellent, excellent”. Isn’t it so? We must trust their word. A select extra virgin olive oil can stir powerful emotions in us, and we must urge the consumers to perceive this unique, outstanding, quality. Are we sure that everybody gets it? Are we capable of communicating it properly?

A Guide to the conservation and use of high quality oils at home and in restaurants. The relationship between oil and consumers is not always easy. For this reason the Ceq, Consortium of extra virgin quality, gathered several practical suggestions for consumers

Great extra virgin oils originate from the ability to combine various batches of oil. Blending nowadays is the talk of the town, but only few have mastered this art. It is an essential, pivotal operation that plays a key role in characterizing a complex and heterogeneous material such as olive oil

Oils produced in Puglia from Coratina olives are ideal condiments in low-calorie diets. The features and virtues of this cultivar, native of southern Italy, were the focus of Qoco, a successful festival organized by the town of Andria that was recently held in Milan

How many of us have gazed up to the sky, looking for answers? Have you ever seen the clouds conversing with the branches of olive trees?

The basics of oil tasting. If you wish to assess an extra virgin olive oil with the aid of your sense organs, you must observe a few, essential rules. There is in fact a ten-step procedure that we should follow in order to discern the quality and peculiarities of oils made from olives

A lesson on oil. Not everybody knows the actual meaning of one of the most important parameters measured in olive oil. Yet often it is conspicuously reported on the label, as if it were a unique virtue, the key feature of a superior oil.

The various stages of setting up an oil mill examined through the eyes of an expert. A journey that will reveal the secrets of the best olive millers, the producers of top quality oil. The installation process can be complicated, and the time factor is critical

Quality of the oil, presentation packaging and container. The second edition of "Le Forme dell'Olio", the international contest organized by Olio Officina, is set to start. Aim of the initiative is to promote and increase the quality of the presentation packaging, and encourage the companies to give greater care to this aspect.

Although little used, there is a fundamental tool that can be employed to protect oneself from suspicious oils: one's nose. Once you learn the basics of oil sampling, you will be able to find the right oil at the right price.

Two roles are usually acknowledged, namely those played by the farmer and the miller. These are indeed two key professions in the field of oil, but they are not the only ones. Of equal importance are the agronomist, the agriculturalist and the agro-technician. And what about the food technologist? Finally there is the oil specialist, who may encompass all these professions or be specialized in only one of them.

Expertise. The Seventh Journées Méditerranéennes de l’Olivier took place last week in Meknès. The increasing popularity of Mediterranean cuisine throughout the world brings quality oil into the limelight. The Italian experience in a speech focusing on the Oleosalusistem project.

It ended in Morocco, after three days entirely devoted to olive growing and olive oil processing technology, the seventh edition of the Olive tree Mediterrean Days in Meknès, organized by Agro-pôle Olivier, the Ecole Nationale d'Agriculture de Meknes, in collaboration with the International University of Andalusia. The initiative highlighted all the innovations, as well as the most recent projects, in olive oil sector.

After consulting various local experts, we can now present an estimate of this year's crop in the Mediterranean regions. An anticipation of more detailed information that will be available in a few weeks time

Food facts. We eat so many olives, mostly as appetizers, or in cocktails, yet we never ask ourselves how they are made. Indeed, most of us are quite ignorant on this topic.