In Italy, extra virgin olive oil is part of our culinary tradition.
We use oil at least twice a day: for lunch and dinner.
Some of us have a relative who produces it or know someone nearby with an olive mill to buy it from the producer, while many buy it at the supermarket, paying close attention to offers and origin.
Even in restaurants, special care is taken; in fact, EVOO is often the star of a separate course during tastings, alongside special baked goods.
Extra virgin olive oil has played a central role in the history of Mediterranean civilizations for millennia, with a multitude of uses that have evolved over the centuries. From ancient Greece, where it was used as medicine, skin ointment, lamp fuel, and even as a sacred prize for winners of games in honor of the goddess Athena, to the present day, olive oil has continued to be a valuable and versatile resource.
Extra virgin olive oil, known for its perfect balance of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, is rich in vitamins and polyphenols, powerful antioxidants that help combat cellular aging caused by free radicals.
In addition to being a health elixir, olive oil is a pillar of Mediterranean cuisine. Always used as a condiment, it is the key ingredient in numerous recipes, and its quality can make all the difference in the success of many dishes.
By quality, in this case, we mean its aromatic profile for nose and taste, i.e., how intense it is.
Today, EVOO has been elevated to a true food.
This precious oil lends itself to a variety of uses in the kitchen: perfect for seasoning both hot and cold dishes, it can enhance the flavor of fish, meat, or low-temperature cooked vegetables. Not only that, it can also add a special touch to desserts, making it an ingredient as versatile as it is indispensable.
Thanks to its unique flavor and healthy properties, extra virgin olive oil confirms itself as a precious food, capable of enriching every dish and bringing benefits to our body.
What can you do with EVOO?
In cooking, extra virgin olive oil is undoubtedly one of the best oils to use, thanks to its versatility and qualities. It is perfectly suited for:
- Raw seasoning, enhancing the flavor of dishes with its unique taste.
- Replacing butter in desserts, lending lightness and a more delicate aromatic profile.
- Being used for short cooking times, but also for frying, thanks to its resistance to high temperatures.
- Supporting long cooking times, maintaining its properties unchanged and enriching dishes with flavor.
Traditional Italian recipes where EVOO is the star
1 Fettunta (and bruschetta)
In Tuscany, it's a true must-have for appetizers and aperitifs, both in the most acclaimed restaurants and in osterias or at home.
The simplicity of bread and oil is not to be taken for granted!
Oil on a warm slice of bread creates a particularly functional combination because polyphenols, which are volatile, are enhanced by heat, and we perceive more aromas.
Toasted bread allows us to appreciate the gustatory, olfactory, and secondary aromatic sensations of flour and bread in general, and particularly due to the caramelization of sugars and the Maillard reaction, which develops about 300 substances, including aromatic ones, in the presence of proteins.
The oil highlights sensations and thus enhances some of those that come from the toasted crust and crumb.
Then there are the kinesthetic sensations related to the texture of the bread; being crispy, it can give more satisfaction when eating it.
2 Pesto
The addition of extra virgin olive oil is one of the crucial steps in preparation, as it must be poured gradually to ensure perfect integration. But the choice of oil is equally fundamental.
For Genoese pesto, it is advisable to avoid intensely fruity oils, which risk overpowering the other flavors. It is preferable to opt for an extra virgin olive oil with a delicate or medium fruitiness, with a soft and unobtrusive taste. This type of oil harmoniously blends with pesto, balancing the flavors and adding a refined note to the recipe.
3 Spaghetti with garlic, oil, and chili pepper
Extra virgin olive oil is an essential element and must be chosen carefully, just as the right moment to use it must be considered. For example, if the spaghetti are sautéed for too long in the pan, the oil can lose some of its aromas, reducing the overall intensity of the dish.
In preparing spaghetti with garlic, oil, and chili pepper, the choice of oil is crucial, as it serves both as a condiment and as the star of the flavor.
But how to choose the perfect oil?
- The intensity. A fundamental aspect in the choice is the fruitiness, that is, the complexity of aromas and scents that the oil emits. In this case, to enhance the dish, an intensely fruity extra virgin olive oil is recommended, which gives depth and body without the need to add parsley.
- The moment. To best preserve the characteristics of the oil, it is useful to heat only a portion of it in the pan and add the rest raw. This trick allows the oil's notes to remain intact, preventing them from being lost during prolonged cooking.
4 Focaccia
The secret to a perfect focaccia? Extra virgin olive oil.
Particularly for preparing our beloved Bari focaccia, extra virgin olive oil plays a key role and is used at two crucial moments in the recipe.
The first step is when the baking pan is generously oiled, and the second is after spreading the dough, gently working it with the fingertips.
The abundance of oil not only gives the focaccia its typical golden color but also ensures its crispiness. The oil should be spread evenly over the surface with light caresses.
In some variations of the recipe, handed down by grandmothers, oil is also added to the dough during the kneading phase, adding softness and richness to the final result. Here too, traditions and family secrets come into play, with different schools of thought on how best to use this precious ingredient.
