Io Donna dedicates an article to the green Italian gold
Don’t call it a dressing. The “olive juice” is the protagonist of the menu, and not only that. There are festivals, art exhibitions, communities such as Women in Olive Oil. It is an exclusive home fragrance.
Is oil the new wine? Sure. Of course It does not replace it, however, it sets a trend. The signs are many. Organic crops, land research, selections, tastings, rankings are multiplying. The taste of a spoonful of oil on ancient grain bread typical of the farmers’ tradition is now the chic appetizer. The list of oils in restaurants is as accurate as that of wines, so don’t call it a “dressing”: oil is the star of the menu. Speaking with Tano Sirnonato about “Tano pass me the olio” (a Milanese restaurant awarded with a Michelin star), one is surprised by his encyclopaedic passion and immense variety of oils. On his website you will find some bottles that he likes: an extra-virgin one of Garda, “Genesi”, from the Boutique olive farm of Paolo Bonornelli and two Sicilians, “Sciauru d’Aliva” that carries the charm of the temples of Selinunte, and “Contrada Defense , a very small, precious production that comes from the Etna area.
But it is necessary to book an appointment with the “oleologist” (a word that does not yet appear in the dictionaries, but perhaps one day) Luigi Caricato to enter a complex and fascinating world, study the differences between Umbrian, Ligurian, Tuscan, Apulian, Sicilian extra virgin olive oils, “Di lago” (Garda, Corno) in order not to use the wrong one, discovering that the richest in polyphenols are almost “pharmaceutical” and the doctor recommends not saving on quality. Assess the colour, from very pale yellow, almost transparent, to bright green. And see the international quotes. There is a little bag, good to know, if you happen to come across the luxurious, unmatchable Lambda (Greek) enclosed in crazy gold boxes.
In the name of oil there are festivals, art exhibitions, literary readings. While, via Facebook, you could connect with Jill Myers who on 30th April, from Charlottesville, Virginia, created the Facebook group “Women in Olive Oil”: 900 women from 40 countries joined in a few weeks. In simple terms, olive oil is perfect to take to an alcohol free dinner, in an original packaging, whether it is a jug, amphora or a cut crystal bottle for perfume. And, by the way, Laura Bosetti Tonatto, a legendary expert, dedicated a special limited edition home fragrance to Laudemio Frescobaldi 2019 (oil and perfume are sold together), a bouquet that restores the sweet and relaxed atmosphere of the countryside.
For Tonatto it was a joyful undertaking to put together “the freshness of orange blossom, the cheerful energy of cassis, the fresh smell of cut grass, the bitterness of artichoke, pepper, the timeless elegance of almond obtained through the distillation of apricot kernel ». The result is a fantastic olfactory journey to the Castello di Nipozzano estate, the land of Laudemio. Matteo Frescobaldi, an enthusiastic brand manager, puts oil almost everywhere, even on Cream ice-cream flavour (“very tasty”) and suggests trying it. In America, the ultimate snobbery is vanilla ice-cream finished with a generous spoonful of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of salt as a topping.
It’s no surprise that pilgrimages are organized in Puglia to see the Olive tree of Borgagne, the oldest in Italy (3-4 thousand years). It is not just a plant monument: the Extra Virgin oil Terre d’Otranto is born from its fruits. It’s no surprise that there is such a plant in the opening words of the latest novel by Milagros Branca (Uliviero, Baldini + Castoldi). An illegitimate son hidden in the hollow of a centuries-old olive tree finds himself taken away with the tree sold to a childless American millionaire. And there is the story of Uliviero, who has a U in his name in place of an O and how the tree, like us, needs roots.
by Roselina Salemi
IO DONNA | Special / The taste of summer
18th July 2020