Oil news

Winter soups are the ultimate comfort food. As the cold weather arrives, there's nothing better than warming up with a cup of hot, nutritious soup. But what are the best seasonal vegetables for preparing really tasty soups? And how can our "Casa Rossa" extra virgin olive oil contribute to a unique experience of taste and authenticity? To prepare truly delicious soups, it is important to use seasonal vegetables. Among the most suitable vegetables for winter soups we find pumpkin, leeks, carrots, cabbage and broccoli. These vegetables are rich in vitamins and nutrients essential for our body during the cold season. Pumpkin, for example, is rich in vitamin A and antioxidants, and is perfect for preparing a pumpkin and leek soup with a sweet and delicate flavour. Cabbages and broccoli, on the other hand, are rich in vitamin C and calcium, and are perfect for preparing a potato and carrot soup with a strong and rustic flavour. But how can our "Casa Rossa" extra virgin olive oil contribute to a unique experience of taste and authenticity? Olive oil is an essential ingredient for making really tasty soups. By adding a generous quantity of "Casa Rossa" at the end of cooking, you can give an extra touch of flavor to your preparations. Its fragrance and light bitter note are a distinctive and important element for enhancing the flavor of the vegetables used. In conclusion, for winter soups using seasonal vegetables and our "Casa Rossa" extra virgin olive oil means using key ingredients to create tasty and above all nutritious dishes. We invite you to creatively create the best soups possible and to discover how our "Casa Rossa" extra virgin olive oil can contribute to a unique experience of taste and authenticity.     Regenerate response

It has long been known that the Mediterranean diet has a positive effect on health and now numerous scientific tests confirm this. In fact, the results of several studies indicate that the Mediterranean eating style could be the key to longevity.

Have you noticed how many different shades of oil colors exist? From deep green to yellow, sometimes arriving at a color so light that it seems almost transparent. Oil does not have a single color and above all the color does not determine the goodness of the product. If anything, it identifies the gustatory difference and the type of cultivar, the origin, the quantity of chlorophyll, the level of carotenes, the soil on which the olives were grown and their state of ripeness. Believing that the more or less intense color of the oil establishes the quality of the oil itself is therefore a false belief. To confirm how color can be irrelevant in this sense, consider that during the panel tests the oil is placed in dark glasses so that the shade does not determine its evaluation. Rather, turbidity and clarityare elements to take into consideration when talking about the quality and color of the oil. Characteristics which, in addition to determining a darker or brighter shade, identify whether or not there has been filtrationof the product. Again, consumers are used to thinking that cloudy oil is more genuine and less refined. This is partly true, but as long as you respect some conditions. One of these is the preservation time. This is because the raw oil, if not consumed in a short period, could lead to the formation of deposits on the bottom and therefore to their fermentation. Circumstance to be avoided. The reason is linked to the quantity of acids present in the oil. For example, the Mediterranean oils and especially the Italian ones, have a high concentration of monounsaturated acids which allow the microparticles of water to remain in suspension for longer, resulting in fewer unwanted formations. Contrary situation for Tunisian oils. Let's now see what the different elements are that contribute to defining the colors of the oil. Carotene and chlorophyll They are natural substances that "color" the olive oil during transformation. The former change from yellow to red/orange, while the latter have a green colour. In addition to determining its color, these pigments are useful for the preservation of the oil and for their antioxidant action. Both are often used strategically by producers to make the oil more attractive to consumers. We are talking above all about the synthetic chlorophyll, added during the pressing of the olive to ensure that the oil acquires a bright green color. Another practice implemented to achieve the same color is the use of olive leaves (which contain chlorophyll) in the pressing. The result is an attractive nuance at the expense of the taste which remains much more bitter. Carotenes and chlorophylls are also directly linked to the state of ripening of the olives that are used. We find high levels of chlorophyll in under-ripe olives. The young oil is therefore very green. Color which, however, varies with the passage of time due to the deterioration of the chlorophyll itself. The upper hand is thus taken by carotenes which shade the oil with yellow and golden shades. Cultivars The agricultural variety also influences the coloring. In Italy alone there are more than 500 different cultivars. Depending on the type of olive, pressing takes place according to different ripening moments. Two typical Apulian types are the Coratina and the Ogliarola . The first, being pressed at the beginning of maturation (where the chlorophyll level is higher), gives an intense green oil. Ogliarola, on the other hand, has a golden yellow color with light green shades. In central Italy, more precisely in Tuscany and Umbria, the most widespread cultivar is that of Moragliolo . The color of the oil resulting from these olives is green with different degrees of intensity. The Taggiasca olive, typical Ligurian, is harvested when fully ripe, so the resulting oil tends towards straw yellow. As a rule, the young olive produces a greener oil than a mature olive, which instead produces a yellower oil. This is because the color of the fruit that is not yet ripe is usually green. Geographical area: climate and terrain The type of cultivar is also connected to the soil and climate of the geographical area in which the olives are grown. Humidity, rainfall, temperatures and soil particularly affect the shades of the oil. The mild northern climate gives rise to cultivars for yellowish-colored oils. Central Italy is home to olive cultivations on the hills and at the foot of the mountains surrounded by a temperate climate mitigated by the sea from which a greener oil is obtained. Southern Italy has a dry and hot climate with clay and limestone soils, which are also excellent for green-colored oils. Processing The first important distinction is found between refined oil and unrefined oil. Artificial shades, too bright or too dull are a first clue. Through the high temperatures of refining, the oil loses its classic color turning towards a lighter shade, sometimes tending towards transparent. Often this operation is also carried out to obtain a greater volume of product. Obviously the quality is lower than unrefined oils. As we said earlier, the degree of ripeness also affects the colour. Ripe olives with yellow oil, unripe olives with green oil. However, olives are often pressed when they are completely ripe, even though they lose part of their organoleptic properties, because the yield of unripe olives can be less than 50%. storage We have already talked about how storage can change the appearance of the oil in terms of cloudiness and residues. On the contrary, too much cold could cause white spots. In this case the product does not suffer any damage with respect to quality. The white traces are due to the triglycerides that make up the oil (specifically palmitic and stearic acid). By bringing the oil back to room temperature, the white dots will tend to disappear. The adviceis therefore to consume the oil within 12/18 months of extraction, away from the sun and heat sources, at a temperature between 13° and 17°. Source: olioevo.eu

Agri-food exports in 2021 reached record levels, reaching above 50 billion euros (in 2015 they were just over 30 billion), thanks to growth in value of 15% compared to 2019 and 11% compared to 2020 AGI - "More Italian food on tables around the world. The effect of the pandemic, in the two years between 2020 and 2021, allowed Made in Italy agri-food to increase its presence better than many commercial opponents have done." This is what the incipit of a report in the new issue of the Gambero Rosso economic weekly, "TreBicchieri", dedicated to agrifood, underlines. When thinking back to the incredible blockade of Italian goods at the borders with the explosion of the pandemic in 2020. The newspaper instead calculates that the world has chosen Made in Italy as a quality product. Superstars of exports were products such as pasta, extra virgin olive oil, cheeses, wine, the latter defined as a "true standard bearer and protagonist" of a performance that led it to total well over 7 billion of Euro. So much so that the sixth edition of the Agrifood monitor forum promoted by Nomisma with Crif, credit information systems, even speaks of "surprising" performance for the agri-food sector. Especially during 2021, which will be remembered as "an extraordinary year for Italian exports" according to the judgment of Denis Pantini, agri-food manager of Nomisma, in his opinion precisely "thanks to a growth that involved all products, bringing to increases in Italy's market share in many world markets". In detail, the data say that our beautiful country saw its weight in value increase during 2021 and compared to 2019 within the most important importing countries, going from 15.4% to 16% in Switzerland, from 7, 8% to 8.7% in Germany, from 8.3% to 8.7% in France, from 5.6% to 6.3% in the UK, from 4.4% to 4.7% in Australia, from 3.1% to 3.5% in Russia. The USA is stable (3.5%) while something is lost in the relationship with China, which goes from 2% to 1.9%, especially because the Chinese, who increased imports during the pandemic period by over 45% , they mainly purchased agricultural commodities, which do not represent the Italian core business, which instead consists of transformed and processed products. But moving from the percentage breakdown to the absolute data, the overall picture is this:agri-food exports in 2021 reached record levels, reaching above 50 billion euros (in 2015 it was just over 30 billion), thanks to a growth in value of 15% compared to 2019 and 11% compared to 2020. The driving products were wine, cured meats and cheeses. Wine confirms itself as the most exported Italian good, with a share of 14% and a increase in value of 12.7% over 2020 and 10.3% over 2019. Therefore, in agrifood, Italy did better than other important European countries, such as France and Germany, which remained below 10% (with growth respectively of +8% and +4%). Italy, however, takes ninth place for the value of global agri-food exports, in a ranking that sees the USA (148.6 billion), the Netherlands (103.1%), Brazil in the top 5 places (83 billion), Germany (75.4 billion) and France (68.3 billion). And between 2019 and 2021, those who did better than the Bel Paese were countries such as Canada, Brazil and the USA, which grew by over 20%. Now, however, we are looking with great apprehension at the Russian-Ukrainian front and the ongoing conflict, also because if on the one hand Italy's performance has been excellent, on the other we have indeed increased exports, however companies are seeing their economic margins reduced due to the effect of the increase in costs, mainly energy costs, which grew by approximately five times. The president of the Scientific Committee of Nomisma and MEP Paolo De Castro declares to the Gambero Rosso economic weekly, regarding the war in Ukraine: "Any sanctions in the agri-food sector in Russia will generate both direct difficulties, such as blockades on exports, and indirect ones, in sense that those countries that will lose an important outlet such as Russia will pour their products into the EU borders". In any case, now with the war in Ukraine devastating consequences are expected for everyone, especially since the conflict comes after two years of a global pandemic, which has already tested the resistance and economies of all countries. Source: agi.it

Do we give up so much that no one buys real oil or do we change strategy because so many can buy it? A hilarious, funny, ironic and unconventional analysis by Maurizio Pescari Sometimes, in the continuous search for the 'main road', the one useful for designing a real future for quality extra virgin olive oil, I stop before a question: but who buys good oil? Alberto Grimelli's analysis last week ( read here ) has shown the real terms of the purchase in hand and that it is not a question of 'portfolio', but of 'head' and I add, of 'habit '. But then, if those who don't have the money don't buy because they can't and those who have the money don't buy because they don't know, or don't want, this blessed real oil, who buys it? Who are these scoundrels who go to the oil mill and decide to spend 10 euros for a liter of real oil or, for the same price, get a half-liter bottle from an oil shop or delicatessen? I'll give it to you Africa A little story comes to mind that a marketing master told me and that I want to share here: An Italian footwear company, eager to develop its market, decided to send two of its salespeople to an African country (not the advanced one of today, but the poor one, which we still imagine...). After a few days one of the salesmen calls the company and disheartenedly says: "I'm going home, no one wears shoes here, there's no point wasting time". The following day, the other salesman calls the company, but the tone is different: "Everybody come here, no one has shoes...". You may say, but what does oil have to do with it? It definitely has something to do with it! Beyond the clear demonstration that it is the seller's 'head' that makes the difference and not the product, putting real oil instead of shoes helps to clarify things a little. Data, not words If it is true that the Italian oil market is 3% of quality extra virgin olive oil and that oils with Designation of Origin occupy 2.7% of that 3% (... nothing), that 97% that buy oil for less than five euros per liter (70% of which is on promotion in supermarkets), it is not difficult to compare them to those in Africa who don't have shoes. What do we do then? Do we give up because no one buys real oil, or do we change strategy because so many can buy it? Let's do the math, a family that dedicates time and money to its diet should consume a bottle of good oil a week. 52 weeks, 52 bottles. But who are the people who pay attention to nutrition, to the point of paying for the quality they bring to the table? Who buys the oil? While respecting the exceptions, don't you think that we, journalists in the sector, buy the real oil? I too, thanks to the generosity of the producers, always have a well-stocked pantry. Or the 'amateur' bloggers, those so to speak who call and say: "If you send me six bottles I'll write you an article...". Or the experts? Those who teach, who distribute knowledge and flavors? Or nutritional doctors? Or the thousands of members of the many gastronomic associations that populate the Bel Paese, those of the academies, the brotherhoods, the tasters of this or that? The teachers of..., the students of..., those I ate from...; in short, all that plethora of generalist experts on whose table there is always pasta from "X", meat from "Y", wine from "Z". How can you expect a sommelier to buy wine in a wine shop? Have you ever seen it? All logically, with the necessary exceptions... I do it but I don't buy it And then, don't you think that the producers buy the good oil? Have you ever seen an oil producer buy another's oil? No. The other is a competitor, not a misfortune companion... They, the producers, in the vast majority of cases, know - unfortunately - only their own oil and remain locked in it. Only the most advanced companies, producers with no ties to the past, grow because they have understood that to grow they need to understand what others are doing. Well, if all of these purchased 50 bottles of oil a year, the problem would be solved. But no, the problem exists and fortunately there are Italian consumers (2.7%) and foreign ones who have a different approach to quality and the price of quality. A strange country What a strange country we have. Even those who tell or write to others to buy it don't buy real oil... Such a strange world where - just to throw it into politics - only those who are in the opposition know how to do the right things..., who as opposition however cannot do them, but that they won't do them even when they are the 'majority' and have the opposition to indicate them... You think: “Did this guy drink…?”. No, I haven't drunk for twenty days and I put the best oils on rice, salad and tomatoes. Is this why? Welcome back and good work…