• Dudley in Umbria
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OLIVE OIL

• Olive oil is one of the most identifiable aspects of Italian cuisine that is both recognised and utilised in cooking all over the globe. The production of olive oil has existed since Roman times and its importance is equal to that of wine production due to its intrinsic value as an economic resource.



• The existence of olives in Italy can be traced back to prehistoric times but the actual development of olive crops didn’t commence there until sometime around the 5th Century BC. Olive cultivation has its origins in the eastern parts of the Mediterranean but, over the centuries, it rapidly spread westwards from its origins in Crete thanks to trade networking. At this time, olive cultivation was particularly heavy in Greece, where olive oil was referred to as ‘liquid gold’.



• When the Roman Empire achieved its dominance, countless groves of olive trees were planted throughout the whole of the Mediterranean basin. In accordance with this, under Roman rule, Italy produced the most reasonably priced olive oil of exceptional quality. Indeed, Umbrian olives were the preference of gourmets and were generally considered to be the finest in all of Italy.



• Consequently, it is argued that the birthplace of Italian olive oil is in Umbria and, whilst this is certainly debatable, the sheer variety of Italian olive trees in the region certainly lends some weight to this discourse. The most prominent olive trees that blanket Umbria are the Moraiolo, the Leccino, the San Felice, the Frantoio and the Pendolino.



• Olive trees are extremely adaptable to their geographical and meteorological surroundings due to their colossal resistance to extreme weather conditions. Olive harvests are, therefore, generally uninterrupted and it is of little wonder that Italy is one of the largest producers of olive oil in the world today - second only to Spain.



• Umbria produces 75,000 tons of olive oil per annum and it is considered to be the best due to its digestible virtues and nutritional value. In fact, olive oil in general has been hailed for it’s youth-preservation, cosmetic and medicinal qualities since Roman times. There are several different types of olive oil, which are defined by their levels of acidity. They are as follows;
  Pure: the flavour, colour and style of this oil are of a lesser standard when compared to the other olive oils. If you don’t want the flavour of the oil to overpower a dish then this is the oil to use.
  Semi-Fine: this oil is a blend of virgin and extra-virgin olive oils. Its acidity is measured at 3% per 100ml of oil.
  Virgin: the flavour is slightly less conspicuous compared to extra virgin olive oil and it’s acidity is a little higher at 1.5% - 2%.
  Extra Virgin: Extra virgin is the highest grade attainable for an olive oil because it has an acidity level of less than 1%. This is the most popular and renowned olive oil.