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On Black & Highly Flavored, co-hosts Derek Kirk and Tamara Celeste shine a light on the need-to-know movers and shakers of our food & beverage industry.
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13 Comments
kofaw74547
May 27, 2020
I have found a new project like this in Greece. The olive oil quality is pretty amazing! I have adopted a tree as a wedding gift for my best friends marriage.
It is called Mia Elia and their website is https://www.miaelia.com/
It is called Mia Elia and their website is https://www.miaelia.com/
kofaw74547
May 27, 2020
I have found a new project like this in Greece. The olive oil quality is pretty amazing! I have adopted a tree as a wedding gift for my best friends marriage.
It is called Mia Elia and their website is https://www.miaelia.com/
It is called Mia Elia and their website is https://www.miaelia.com/
D.L.
April 6, 2016
Great job Michele! Very nice packaging! It's always refreshing to see young people going back to their roots! I also like the price point: 12 liters of super fresh and authentic extra virgin olive oil and the gorgeous ceramic cruet for $370 is a pretty good deal.
foodie100
April 5, 2016
Im pretty sure this concept has been done before? https://food52.com/blog/4036-pressing-olives-with-jason-gibb-of-nudo-olive-oil
HC
April 4, 2016
This is a great idea! If you can source this back to the four farmers and and how they mill/process their oils (you must have the most modern/ ultra clean milling equipment and you need a master miller running the equipment- the old donkey and stone wheel method, although romantic will ALWAYS create defects in the oil !) this can be exceptional oil. I love that you tell the varieties of the olives (there are over 2000 different olives in the world) and what makes Italy so exceptional is they have more than 400 varieties in their small country which makes for some exceptional oils. Do not think that ALL Extra Virgin Olive oil in Italy is fake or touched by Mafia hands - the 60 minute report should not make you feel that all Italian oil is fake because this SIMPLY IS NOT TRUE. Italy has some extremely passionate, dedicated growers that create ultra premium oils that are beautiful! What makes Italy unique in the world is the fact that no other country has as many cultivars (over 400) which allows such a variety and diversity of product. The oils you should be most afraid of are the ones you can buy in your grocery store for $2.99 a litre -those are most surely NOT EVOO!! I have been taking professional Olive oil tasting courses in Italy for years so I know a little bit about this magnificent/misunderstood product.. When buying any EVOO I think the most important things to look for are A HARVEST DATE - not the same as a BEST Before date (if an oil is harvested in Oct 2015 - it is at its best for up to 2 years if stored properly ) - Good oil should have a level of bitterness and pungency (does it make you cough!) these are positive attributes - taste the oil- take a tablespoon and swirl it in your mouth, smile, then suck in some air 2 or 3 times and swallow it. Does it taste peppery at the back of your tongue, does it make you cough! GOOD then its probably a good, fresh oil, lovingly crafted. Whether you get oils from wonderful producers in California (there are many!!) or Spain or Italy, I encourage you not to save it for a "special " occasion - this is actually fresh fruit juice the better the fresher, don't save it or you will miss it when it has its best MOJO!! Use it lavishly on everything - its not just for Caprese Salad!!
Michele I.
April 4, 2016
Ciao! Michele here from Especially Puglia! I am not surprised that as a Food52 reader you have been paying attention to the press around olive oil - and like me that you care deeply about knowing where your food comes from. It's true that a lot of Italian olive oil sold in grocery stores in America is not EVOO. I started Especially Puglia to combat this problem. Many of the small farmers in Puglia, including my family who owns olive groves, produce olive oil for their personal use and sell to their friends and family. They would sell the remainder of the olive oil to large corporations, and this oil, once out of their hands, would eventually become blended with other oils. Our family's olive farms produce small batch single harvest EVOO for sale through Especially Puglia. It's our mission to cut out the middle man, and the question mark that comes with it, and bring extra virgin olive oil straight from the farms to you.
We are even inviting anyone interested in learning more about small batch production to visit the farms in Puglia during the olive oil harvest in the fall, see it in action, and get to know the farmers!
We are even inviting anyone interested in learning more about small batch production to visit the farms in Puglia during the olive oil harvest in the fall, see it in action, and get to know the farmers!
Derek M.
November 10, 2020
I'm just starting to read and see your site and will be ordering something for Christmas gifts for family.With my name being Giusto to see these bottles in our kitchen will be sweet.Loving I've oil as I do is just as sweet.
Kelly K.
April 4, 2016
As great of a concept as it sounds, I would not trust any EVOO coming from Italy...sorry.
Jon M.
April 4, 2016
Italy is notorious for selling EVO that isn't EVO. Does Food 52 guarantee that it is what they claim?
PaulaE
April 4, 2016
That's what I'm asking below. Did you see this? http://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-agromafia-food-fraud/ If this Food 52 partnership with an honest, non-Mafia-connected farmer is real, I'm in.
PaulaE
April 4, 2016
Can we be sure this olive oil CSA program is free of the influence of Italian organized crime? I would love to support olive farmers who have thrown off the yoke of that terrible, corrupt system.
Caroline L.
April 4, 2016
hi there paula, we definitely appreciate this concern—and hear you. having spoken to michele myself, i can tell you that he feels very passionately about producing olive oil that both honors the families that make it (his family and a handful of family friends) and the olives themselves, and about doing it transparently. i don't want to speak for michele, but i'm sure he'd be happy to answer any questions you have! you can find the company's contact info here: http://especiallypuglia.com
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