OLIVA OIL.. EXTRA VIRGIN!!

     The olive was native to Asia Minor and spread from Iran, Syria and Palestine to the rest of the Mediterranean basin 6,000 years ago. It is among the oldest known cultivated trees in the world, being grown before the written language was invented. It was being grown on Crete by 3,000 BC and may have been the source of the wealth of the Minoan kingdom. The Phoenicians spread the olive to the Mediterranean shores of Africa and Southern Europe. Olives have been found in Egyptian tombs from 2,000 years BC. The olive culture was spread to the early Greeks then Romans. As the Romans extended their domain they brought the olive with them.

Olive oil was used for variety of purposes, including lamp fuel, pharmaceutical ointment and in rituals for anointing royalty, warriors and others. The term "messiah", used in many Mediterranean-based religions, means "the anointed one", perhaps referring to an olive oil-based ritual. Cooking with olive oil may not have been a purpose for the original domestication, but it began at least as long ago as the 5th-4th century BC.

Throughout the various civilizations, the olive tree and olive oil have occupied pivotal positions in the agricultural economy of Mediterranean countries and in their commerce with neighbouring populations. The Minoans of Crete were among the first cultures to achieve prosperity on olive oil, and Crete continues to be an important olive production area to the present day.

There are many different kinds of olive varieties from which oil can be produced, and each brings a unique flavor and quality to the oil. Olive oils described as ‘virgin’ are those that have been obtained from the original fruit without having been synthetically treated. Once the olives have been picked, pressed, and washed, no other process has taken place other than decantation, and centrifugation to extract the oil, and filtration.

Extra virgin is the highest quality and most flavorful olive oil classification. In chemical terms it is described as having a free acidity, expressed as oleic acid, of not more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams. It must be produced entirely by mechanical means without the use of any solvents, and under temperatures that will not degrade the oil (less than 86°F, 30°C).

The wonderful flavours of olive oil are what set it apart from all other vegetable and seed oils.

Try this amazing product made by a BIO Farm, Agricola Persiani. 

Atri, AbruzzI. ITALY

The Company is located in the outskirts of Atri, in San Martino, behind Gran Sasso’s peaks and facing the Adriatic Sea. The location, the soil and the climate make these hills  particularly suited to grow olive trees. The company reaches today an area of 20 hectares in which there are 6000 ca. olive trees of the main native cultivars.

The Persiani’s Company uses natural Organic fertilizers; no fertilizers or chemical treatments are ever used. Persiani is equipped with a modern oil mill in a continuous cicle.

Close your Eyes and Dream...

http://www.italysustainabletravel.com/#!persiani-bio-oil-of-olive/cok0 

ONCE UPON A TIME...

...there were some beautiful apples that grew in South Tyrol/Sudtirol. The fruit of unspoilt  nature and offspring of tradition,they grew to be naturala and delicious. No one knew about them, because they did not have a name...

Then MARLENE & MELINDA CAME!!!

Success is guaranteed with this simple recipe prepared with natural ingredients from “Cucinare nelle Dolomiti. Le migliori ricette dal cuore delle Alpi” (Helmut Bachmann, Heinrich Gasteiger and Gerhard Wieser, ed. Athesia).

100 g of butter - 3 egg yolks - 1 sachet of vanilla sugar - 150 g of sugar - 3 egg whites - 1 pinch of salt - 150 g of flour - 70 g of finely grated hazelnut - 25 g of ground poppy seeds - 1 sachet of baking powder - 100 g of grated GOLDEN apples - butter to grease the moulds - flour or grated hazelnut

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Using a mixer, beat the softened butter with the egg yolks, the vanilla sugar and 50 g of the sugar. Lightly whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt and 100 g of sugar and beat until it forms soft peaks. Mix the flour, hazelnuts, the freshly ground poppy seeds and the baking powder. Using a wooden spoon incorporate the flour and poppy seed mix, followed by the apple and the whisked egg whites. Grease the moulds (5 cm in diameter) with the softened butter and sprinkle the insides with a little flour or nutmeg. Fill with the mix and cook in the oven at 180°C for 20 minutes.

CHESTNUTS

    The chestnut is a highly estimated and nutritious fruit and is for this reason frequently used in the flavorsome cuisine in north Italy. The chestnuts are also referred to as the “cereal that grows on the tree”. With good reason, as this fruit has been known for its nutritiousness since ancient times. In addition, for a very long period of time it used to be the staple diet of farmers.

Some time ago mountain farmers used to cultivate fruits that in harvest period could simply be collected. One of them was the chestnut which, in the course of time took pride of place in the gastronomy of the Trentino Alto Adige region. There are numerous dishes in the cuisine of the Trentino Alto Adige, prepared on the basis of chestnuts. These plates range from starters to sweets such as chestnut creams, chocolate, “marron glace” (iced chestnuts) to candied fruits, treacle, chestnut beer and liquors. And last but not least, the roasted chestnuts.

The chestnut harvest period goes from the end of August to well into November. In this period, the delicious fruit is frequently celebrated and highlighted in village fairs and other events.

All this amazing products come from the natural territory. This is primarily bacause of the excellent climatic conditions and the richness of the soil, and also because of the care that we take to follow nature's rules, both for organic and integrated cultivation.

Never forget Boletus edulis, better known as Penny bun, or Porcino! Meaning of purity of the Mountains and ground. Boletus edulis, like its name implies, is an edible mushroom. Italian chef and restaurateur Antonio Carluccio has described it as representing "the wild mushroom par excellence", and hails it as the most rewarding of all fungi in the kitchen for its taste and versatility. Considered a choice edible, particularly in France, Germany and Italy, it was widely written about by the Roman writers Pliny the Elder and Martial, although ranked below the esteemed Amanita caesarea.

So, if you decide to see, taste and smell these Masterpieces of Nature what best way to get where they grow up...North of Italy, especially Trentino and South Tirol are the core of them, pure environment colorfully and unique tastes!!

Choose a destination that cares of it, where sustainability is a Must and Nature is untouched!! 

We have found one for you:

http://www.italienoekoreisen.com/#!feldmilla/c1z9i