Olive oil is a fundamental ingredient of the gastronomic tradition of the Mediterranean countries and is a true pillar of the Mediterranean diet thanks to its nutritional properties. The best quality of olive oil is that called extra virgin olive oil (“EVO oil”), obtained exclusively by mechanical pressing.
The regulations in force in several countries require that extra virgin olive oil comply with stringent quality parameters to ensure that the oil has been obtained exclusively by mechanical methods and that it is not mixed with other oils of lower quality. The acidity of EVO oil must be less than 0.8%.
In the case of PDO (protected designation of origin) oils, of which Italy is particularly rich, the production specifications provide even more restrictive rules regarding the production techniques and the olive varieties used. In fact, the olives must be autochthonous: that is, originally native from the place of production.
Most EVO oils and PDO oils are a blend of different varieties of olives. Blending is an art refined over centuries of experience.
The most characteristic oils are those obtained from a single variety of olives; the presence of a single autochthonous variety, in fact, gives these oils an extreme typicality and a strong link with the territory of origin.
