Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil (2012)
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Re: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil (2012)
#2I use olive oil regularly in my cooking and now, I don't know what to think.
I'm curious why the original article wasn't the one submitted (though it's inserted at the bottom of that entry).
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jan/13/extra-virginity-...
Re: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil (2012)
#3I use olive oil regularly in my cooking and now, I don't know what to think. I'm curious why the original article wasn't the one submitted (though it's inserted at the bottom of that entry). http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jan/13/extra-virginity-...
I'm curious why the original article wasn't the one submitted (though it's inserted at the bottom of that entry).
The submitted article is hosted on the original author's blog.
Re: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil (2012)
#4Does anyone have any tips for finding quality olive oil?
The only way I've had success is to buy inexpensive single-source stuff, even if it's inexpensive and non-Italian. Best olive oils I've had were single-sourced from Spain; $2 from a discount store. Maybe no-one wants to fake non-Italian oil?
Re: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil (2012)
#5Does anyone have any tips for finding quality olive oil? The only way I've had success is to buy inexpensive single-source stuff, even if it's inexpensive and non-Italian. Best olive oils I've had were single-sourced from Spain; $2 from a discount store. Maybe no-one wants to fake non-Italian oil?
The article implies that you should find something that tastes good for you, not fetishize the origin/process.
Re: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil (2012)
#6Does anyone have any tips for finding quality olive oil? The only way I've had success is to buy inexpensive single-source stuff, even if it's inexpensive and non-Italian. Best olive oils I've had were single-sourced from Spain; $2 from a discount store. Maybe no-one wants to fake non-Italian oil?
The article implies that you should find something that tastes good for you, not fetishize the origin/process.
Right, but there's 100s of kinds out there, and I could go broke buying crappy ones. To me, the article implies that the system is gamed – I am wondering if anyone knows sources / etc. for identifying those suppliers which don't game the system.
My method isn't to "fetishize the origin/process" (what, do you think I'm like 12?), but to look for oils that carry lesser-desirable (and hence less likely to be gamed) properties (e.g. sourced from outside Italy; inexpensive).
Re: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil (2012)
#7UC Davis does olive oil testing a little more systematically:
Re: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil (2012)
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
The article implies that you should find something that tastes good for you, not fetishize the origin/process.
Right, but there's 100s of kinds out there, and I could go broke buying crappy ones. To me, the article implies that the system is gamed – I am wondering if anyone knows sources / etc. for identifying those suppliers which don't game the system. My method isn't to "fetishize the origin/process" (what, do you think I'm like 12?), but to look for oils that carry lesser-desirable (and hence less likely to be gamed) prop…
Yeah, I don't understand why they make such a big deal out of being sourced from Italy. Olives grown elsewhere should make fine oil, and you could probably use the honest advertisement of non-Italian origin as a gauge for the honesty of the company.
Re: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil (2012)
#9Fairway in the NY area has an olive oil bar with about dozen varieties and bread for dipping. Most are domestic and labelled as such. The nuance in flavor is easily detectable. I find most supermarket brands taste about the same. The olive taste is so distinct you'd never confuse it for canola, corn or anything else.
Re: Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil (2012)
#10My parents retired to Italy a number of years ago, to a place with a hundred or so olive trees in the garden, and each November some of us head over to pick the olives (much to the amusement of the locals, who think we're crazy to do agricultural work in our spare time) and take them to a nearby pressing plant (where you can wander around and see the process to make sure your harvest isn't being mixed up with other, lesser olives). The end result is much spicier and harsher than anything I've ever bought. Personally I think it's delicious, but I'm hardly an unbiased judge...