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Delicious, green and peppery... Discover the local olive oil
[Susan Glasspool]
October to November marks the harvesting of the olives. It is usually hard and backbreaking work and not helped by the first winter rains and cold north winds. You can volunteer to help if you like...but it is really only enjoyable on sunny days!What is fun is going to watch the oil being milled. This is not as hard as it sounds as the frantoi or oil mills are open to all during the harvest as people gradually bring in varying quantities of olives for milling. Snacks and even meals are often of offer to help clients pass the time while waiting for their oil to be ready, so there is no reason why you should not partake of the repast too!
Almost every farm in Tuscany boasts an olive grove (many people have a tree or two in their garden for home consumption); some farms even have their own olive press, a guarantee of good oil, as the olives should be milled immediately after picking. Others have to take their olives to the nearest available press for immediate washing and milling. The traditional method for milling olives is by placing them on a large, circular block of granite, where they are crushed by two turning granite wheels. 20 minutes later the olives have been transformed into an oily pulp. This is spread out on round mats of woven hemp, each with a hole in the middle, which are stacked on a spindle and placed under an increasing pressure to extract the oil and juice that collects at the base. The first oil is considered superior to that extracted at the end of the process. Waste water and sediments are separated from the oil, either by successive decanting or centrifuge. Olive oil does not improve with age, it simply mellows, and the pungent aroma and the vivid taste of the freshly pressed greenish oil gradually turns golden yellow to acquire a velvety texture. A good extra virgin oil should stay fairly fresh for a year or more if properly stored in cool place.
The deliciously tasting Tuscan oil is particularly low in acid content and therefore better for you, though the flavour can vary according to where the olives are grown, climate and so on. It can be peppery, fruity, full-bodied, or mild with underlying scents of grass, artichokes or wild herbs, certainly it should be flavoursome and not just oily. Watch out for wine and oil fairs, especially in the country (Reggello, Calenzano, Barberino Val d’Elsa), in early November. You can taste some excellent and often very reasonably priced oils (taste several to decide which you like best). In Florence itself you can visit Supertuscany 2005 - The Salon of Excellence (at the Fortezza da Basso from November 4th to 6th) - specialised in wines but promoting other Tuscan flavours, such as oils, as well.
Dribble it over a slice of Tuscan bread or, better still, toast rubbed with garlic, add some salt and go with the flavour... Or, you can taste it in our recommended restaurants!
If you are really interested, you can take an olive oil tasting course and learn all the things a real olive oil expert should look out for. It requires technique and sensitivity and is fast becoming as popular as courses on wines.
Trattoria Zà Zà in Piazza del Mercato Centrale 26/27r - www.trattoriazaza.it - is a splash of Bohemian glamour based on a classical Tuscan cuisine, offering delicious stews, roasts and grills. Apart from tasting the new oil during your meal you can also buy it in the internal shop selling local gastronomic specialities, wines etc.
Don’t miss Napo Leone in Piazza del Carmine 24 - www.trattorianapoleone.it, in the San Frediano area, opposite the Brancacci Chapel. It is only open for dinner and serves fresh fish, typical meat dishes and a wide variety of pizzas. Here again the new oil is used to season practically every dish.
Giannino in San Lorenzo in Borgo San Lorenzo, 35/37r - www.gianninoinflorence.com - is specialised in genuine Tuscan menus and therefore here the new oil is a must, served on their delicious steaks, Tuscan beans, soups and salads.
Celestino in Piazza S. Felicita, 4r - www.ristorantecelestino.it - serves mouthwatering traditional Mediterranean style menus and therefore, need you wonder, fresh olive oil is an obligatory ingredient!
Enjoy some more flavoursome Tuscan temptations at Mamma Gina’s, a truly characteristic Tuscan trattoria in Borgo San Jacopo, 37r (Tel. 055.2396009), close by the Ponte Vecchio. The menu is vast and varied, the food is beautifully served and perfectly matched with the new oil and the excellent wines from its cellars.
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