Made in Italy
and more!
There is no other area in the world – apart from the Mediterranean – where the olive oil has served as a basis of a diet for millennia. Italy and Italian cuisine are a perfect example : meticulous attention and love for food met the fertile territory for an excellent result.
Sicily is not exception. As the most southern Italian region it follows the Italian style but has a warmer climate. Let’s see what is special about Sicily and its soil that makes the olive oil from Sicily so special.
Made in Italy
and more!
There is no other area in the world – apart from the Mediterranean – where the olive oil has served as a basis of a diet for millennia. Italy and Italian cuisine are a perfect example : meticulous attention and love for food met the fertile territory for an excellent result.
Sicily is not exception. As the most southern Italian region it follows the Italian style but has a warmer climate. Let’s see what is special about Sicily and its soil that makes the olive oil from Sicily so special.
What is so special about Sicily?
Apart from the olives, the Sicilian land is home to a variety of delicious foods that are second to none. These include: oranges – especially red oranges and vanilla oranges, lemons, honey, garlic, almonds, pistacchio, tomatoes and, of course, – grapes and wine.
Many of these genuine superfoods find in Sicily the ideal climate to flourish and prosper.
If we take olive trees as an example, many of the olive trees in Sicily are older than 100 years old.
The blessed soils of Sicily – the sunniest Italian region in the heart of the Mediterranean – have historically produced highest quality olives. Not all of them are 100 years, of course.
However, those that are younger mostly follow the continuity after their ancestors: the olive varieties and their combination with the soil.
Italian tradition
Is continuity important? Italy is the country with the biggest amount of territory – product valuable matches in the world. Parmiggiano? – From Parma- town! Mozzarella? – From Campagna region. And these are the boldest examples, but it is valid for all food that is Made in Italy.
The real Italian style in food production is matching the territory to the plant variety. And prefer the match that gives the most delicious palatable result.
Following this style Italian food has gained its reputation worldwide. In Sicily this match is also extremely important. A local producer can only win the Italian client by offering the best match.
When it’s pistacchio – it is from Bronte. There is no way for a small village and neighbouring 96 sq. miles to produce enough pistacchio for the whole world. But it has its clients among those who prefer to have less but the best.
But let’s return to the example of the olive trees. There are many varieties of an olive tree. Some of them – are more prolific, the others – are not. Some are tastier – others less. The combination of a certian historical variety (cultivar) with the soil again gives it a unique flavour and taste. If you are interested in autoctonous Sicilian olive cultivars – read more here.
Artisanal vs Industrial
When we speak about the Italian style and territory/variety match this may not be true for the bigger players of international trade. There is no area that can produce enough of one product for all supermarkets in the world. And even not for the supermarkets of one medium-sized country. But there are ways to increase the quantity of the food production in many ways.
One of such ways is selection: to choose the variety that gives more and requires minimal care. That is the way that most mass producers choose. Olives are brought from different regions and even different countries and bottled in one place.
In this case there is absolutely no difference of what taste and flavour it had in its origin. Even more so, it should taste predictable and homogeneous, preferably always the same. And this is nothing to do with the style or Made in Italy quality.
Just think about wine – would you buy a ‘red wine from Europe’? All kinds of grapes no matter from where, Spain, Holland, or Italy, mixed together in a labeled bottle? Well, it is absolutely the same story with the olives and the good olive oil.
The Italian style of caring, mastering and loving food and the Sicilian climate – two factors that make the olive oil from here special. What else?
There is one more factor that makes the Sicilian soil special. Well, not all of it, but enough to produce the whole range of good food. Volcanic soils – a blessing or a curse? Read here.
What is so special about Sicily?
Apart from the olives, the Sicilian land is home to a variety of delicious foods that are second to none. These include: oranges – especially red oranges and vanilla oranges, lemons, honey, garlic, almonds, pistacchio, tomatoes and, of course, – grapes and wine.
Many of these genuine superfoods find in Sicily the ideal climate to flourish and prosper.
If we take olive trees as an example, many of the olive trees in Sicily are older than 100 years old. The blessed soils of Sicily – the sunniest Italian region in the heart of the Mediterranean – have historically produced highest quality olives. Not all of them are 100 years, of course.
However, those that are younger mostly follow the continuity after their ancestors: the olive varieties and their combination with the soil.
Italian tradition
Is continuity important? Italy is the country with the biggest amount of territory – product valuable matches in the world. Parmiggiano? – From Parma- town! Mozzarella? – From Campagna region. And these are the boldest examples, but it is valid for all food that is Made in Italy.
The real Italian style in food production is matching the territory to the plant variety. And prefer the match that gives the most delicious palatable result.
Following this style Italian food has gained its reputation worldwide. In Sicily this match is also extremely important. A local producer can only win the Italian client by offering the best match.
When it’s pistacchio – it is from Bronte. There is no way for a small village and neighbouring 96 sq. miles to produce enough pistacchio for the whole world. But it has its clients among those who prefer to have less but the best.
But let’s return to the example of the olive trees. There are many varieties of an olive tree. Some of them – are more prolific, the others – are not. Some are tastier – others less. The combination of a certian historical variety (cultivar) with the soil again gives it a unique flavour and taste. If you are interested in autoctonous Sicilian olive cultivars – read more here.
Artisanal vs Industrial
When we speak about the Italian style and territory/variety match this may not be true for the bigger players of international trade. There is no area that can produce enough of one product for all supermarkets in the world. And even not for the supermarkets of one medium-sized country. But there are ways to increase the quantity of the food production in many ways.
One of such ways is selection: to choose the variety that gives more and requires minimal care. That is the way that most mass producers choose. Olives are brought from different regions and even different countries and bottled in one place.
In this case there is absolutely no difference of what taste and flavour it had in its origin. Even more so, it should taste predictable and homogeneous, preferably always the same. And this is nothing to do with the style or Made in Italy quality.
Just think about wine – would you buy a ‘red wine from Europe’? All kinds of grapes no matter from where, Spain, Holland, or Italy, mixed together in a labeled bottle? Well, it is absolutely the same story with the olives and the good olive oil.
The Italian style of caring, mastering and loving food and the Sicilian climate – two factors that make the olive oil from here special. What else?
There is one more factor that makes the Sicilian soil special. Well, not all of it, but enough to produce the whole range of good food. Volcanic soils – a blessing or a curse? Read here.
