A Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Food Pairing
In the Mediterranean and Italian cookery Extra virgin olive oil is not a dressing but a protagonist. If you try an Italian recipe without extra virgin olive oil, you might understand why! It changes the flavour, the texture and the aroma of every dish in a way that without, we would consider the recipe incomplete and unsuccessful. In Italy we produced at least 300 different varieties of olive of the 715 existing on our territory. They are all different, in size, shape, texture, flavour and ripening time like many other vegetable species. Think about tomatoes or apples. All these varieties and the many combinations of them, produce very different extra virgin olive oils, exactly what happens with wines. And exactly like wine, extra virgin olive oil needs to be expertly paired with food. Let’s see how.
How to pair mild extra virgin olive oil
Pair mild extra virgin olive oil with delicate flavours like white fish, white meat, shellfish, summer veggies like tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers, fresh cheese and cheese based dishes. Find out more about our mild organic EVOO.
How to Pair Intense Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pair intense extra virgin olive oil with meat and meat based dishes, grilled meat and veggies, bean soups, hummus, dark-leafy veggies, root vegetables and bitter or spicy greens, like radicchio, rocket and watercress. Find out more about our intense organic EVOO.
How to Pair Herbaceous Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pair herbaceous extra virgin olive oil with notes of vegetable (tomato, aubergine, artichoke) with salads, potatoes, grilled fish, soups, recipes with tomato sauces (pizza and pasta) and cereal soups. Find more about our herbaceous medium intensity extra virgin olive oils, the biodynamic and the 100% Italian.
A delicious way to understand the flavour and aroma of an extra virgin olive oil is on toasted bread. Drizzle a generous amount on the toasted bread slice. The heat helps the aromas come out and you will be able to detect all the flavour notes. At the end of the tasting process, add some garlic, tomatoes and salt and you will have the most unforgettable Bruschetta.
Check our blog for some simple delicious snacks with organic & biodynamic extra virgin olive oil!
How to pair mild extra virgin olive oil
Pair mild extra virgin olive oil with delicate flavours like white fish, white meat, shellfish, summer veggies like tomatoes, courgettes and cucumbers, fresh cheese and cheese based dishes. Find out more about our mild organic EVOO.
How to Pair Intense Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pair intense extra virgin olive oil with meat and meat based dishes, grilled meat and veggies, bean soups, hummus, dark-leafy veggies, root vegetables and bitter or spicy greens, like radicchio, rocket and watercress. Find out more about our intense organic EVOO.
How to Pair Herbaceous Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Pair herbaceous extra virgin olive oil with notes of vegetable (tomato, aubergine, artichoke) with salads, potatoes, grilled fish, soups, recipes with tomato sauces (pizza and pasta) and cereal soups. Find more about our herbaceous medium intensity extra virgin olive oils, the biodynamic and the 100% Italian.
A delicious way to understand the flavour and aroma of an extra virgin olive oil is on toasted bread. Drizzle a generous amount on the toasted bread slice. The heat helps the aromas come out and you will be able to detect all the flavour notes. At the end of the tasting process, add some garlic, tomatoes and salt and you will have the most unforgettable Bruschetta.
Check our blog for some simple delicious snacks with organic & biodynamic extra virgin olive oil!