Organic Extra Virgin Oil: Nocellara del Belice

30.3.2018

AN ORGANIC HIGH QUALITY OIL

There is a high-regarded quality of extra-virgin olive oil, which is cold-extracted from organically farmed Nocellara del Belice olives, hand-picked in the area of  Cosenza, Calabria. This oil  is rich in fruity notes of ripe tomato, has fragrant hints of mint and sage and a flavor strong and vegetal.  Bitterness is powerful and the spiciness is intense. With regard to color this oil is deep golden yellow with shades of green.

This oil is perfect simply drizzled over toasted bread, grilled fish, hearty soups, pasta and seasoned cheeses. Further, this Calabrian olive oil is ideal on fish and in fish sauces, but also substantial enough to match nicely with meat  and vegetables.

 

A SPECIAL CULTIVAR

“Nocellara del Belice” is an olive cultivar well present in Calabria, a key-product of Mediterranean tradition of Calabrian Oil. It has, anyway, its origins in the Valley of Belice, an area of south-western Sicily. Further, Nocellara del Belice olives, which grows primarily in Sicily, is also planted  in India, Pakistan and South Africa.

This special  cultivar is a dual-purpose olive, grown both for oil and for the human consumption.

There are two DOP (protection of denomination):

  • Valle del Belìce DOP olive oil and
  • Nocellara del Belice DOP table olives.

Both have protected status in the European Union.

With regard to oli production, this special Nocellara is used to make “Valle del Belìce” extra-virgin olive oil, which is pressed from a minimum of 70% Nocellara del Belice olives. As a table olive it may be treated by various methods, one of which is named for the comune of Castelvetrano in the Valle del Belice. These well known olives are marketed as Castelvetrano olives in the United States and elsewhere, and can be recognized as large, green olives with a mild, buttery flavor.

Calabrian Hot Chili Pepper

26.3.2018

Calabrian Hot Chili Pepper is  deeply embedded in Calabrian culture, especially in the best of the Calabrian rural food tradition. While exportation is not very developed, anyway  in the market of Made in Italy Calabrian pepper offers a wide presence of product lines, that honors to “his majesty Hot Pepper”, the main ingredient in many Calabrian recipes.

For example, the best vegetables are preserved in oil full of pepper, according to the ancient recipes of southern Italy, enriched with natural flavors and aromas.
Pepper is used for appetizers and side-dishes to taste unique and genuine recipes. Or it is employed in a wide range of Calabrian specialties as fish-products.

Pepper can be enjoyed ideally with aged cheeses, boiled and roasted meat, and grilled vegetables. Then it recalls the flavors and aromas of an ancient land, Calabria, especially if mixed to other spices and dried herbs, sealed by hand
to ensure all the taste and the warmth of Calabria.

Often Calabrian Hot Chili Pepper is the main ingredient, with unusual combinations and elaborate preparations, of condiments and sauces in a gradation of flavors from mild to spicy.