Cold Pressed Extra Virgin?

Olive oil, that is. . . Olio di oliva. 'Tis the season for harvesting olives in Sicily. I finally got to see the pressing of olive oil! I've always been fascinated by how things are made and have enjoyed watching craftspeople at their craft, so this was perfect. It was a big weekend for all things olive oil. I was able to visit an oleificio one day and visit with some folks who have several hectacres of olive trees the other day.

Italy is the world's largest producer of olive oil and Sicily is said to have the finest, both in fragrance and taste, due to Sicily's particularly rich soil, some of which is volcanic in origin. Within Sicily, different varieties are grown, depending on the region, climate, and soil. From what I've gleaned, the extra virgin olive oil (EVOO to Rachel Ray) is derived from the first cold pressing of the olive. In Sicily, only the first pressing is sold and used. Anything after that is considered "less than" and is extracted from the leftovers with heat. The sheets of brown husks after the pressing are actually recycled and used for fertilizer.

The process goes something like this. Olives are harvested mostly by hand or machine "rakes" that shake the branches, allowing the olives to fall into nets. The olives are then brought to the oleificio, where the leaves and small branches are removed by hand. Then they are placed into a machine that pulvarizes the olives into a chunky paste-like consistency, and then spread by machine onto porous disks. These disks are stacked on top of each other until the stack is large enough for the press. With the machine applying pressure, one can actually see the oil dripping down the sides of the press.

People can bring their own olives in return for a certain amount of oil, or the oil can be bought outright from the oleificio. The desired cold pressed, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil is green and murky, with a distint olive aroma and a fresh olive taste.

Our friends in Noto, Denise and Christopher, who own hundreds of trees, have recented harvested and pressed their own oil, and netted 350 liters after giving the harvesters half the yield. They talked about their experience as ex-pats, and admittedly their choice of where they want to live is driven by where olive trees grow. This a love affair indeed! They generously gave us 3 liters in addition to a wonderful home-cooked lunch. Yes, bread dipped in olive oil was the first order of business.

Next time you buy olive oil, be fussy. Look for Italian (if not Sicilian) olive oil, cold pressed, first pressing. The greener the better. OK, I admit it. I've turned into an olive oil snob!