Colline Salernitane (extra virgin olive oil)

History and origin

The varieties behind Colline Salernitane oil have grown in the province of Salerno for thousands of years, and they have even left their mark on place names: Ogliara, Olivella and Oliveto Citra owe their names to the olive tree. Olive growing around Salerno certainly dates from Roman times, but several sources trace its introduction to the Phocaeans, Greek colonists and great seafarers, who are said to have begun planting olives in the Alento plain and the hills around it.

Under the Romans olive growing spread across the whole Salerno area. The Campania Region notes that even today, walking through this countryside, it is easy to come across huge, very old olive trees that hold the history of local communities: in the hardest times the olive tree gave them a living.

Colline Salernitane oil was recognised as a Protected Designation of Origin in 1997, together with other Campanian oils, and is now looked after by its own consortium.

Sources: Qualigeo — Colline Salernitane DOP · Regione Campania — Colline Salernitane (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP · eAmbrosia — Colline Salernitane (PDO-IT-1545)

Area and method of production

The area of production, processing and bottling covers 86 municipalities in the province of Salerno, spread over a large olive-growing area: the Amalfi Coast, the Calore valley, the Monti Picentini, the Alburni, the upper and middle Sele, the Tanagro hills and part of the Vallo di Diano.

The oil comes from at least 65% Rotondella, Frantoio, Carpellese or Nostrale olives, alone or together, while Ogliarola and Leccino may not exceed 35%. Olives are picked by hand or with machines straight from the tree, by 31 December; with a resolution of the Campania Region the harvest may be extended, but not beyond 30 January.

Milling must take place by the second day after picking, to keep the product intact. The Region points out that only mechanical and physical extraction processes are allowed, preserving the fruit's qualities as faithfully as possible, and that alongside traditional techniques some areas have adopted innovations such as mechanised pruning and harvesting.

Sources: Qualigeo — Colline Salernitane DOP · Regione Campania — Colline Salernitane (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP

How to recognise it

Its colour ranges from green to straw yellow of varying depth; the oil is clear, sometimes veiled. The fruitiness is medium to high: the regional record speaks of a clear note of sound olive, with hints of green leaf, grass and unripe tomato. In the mouth it is firm and lingering, with medium or light bitterness and slight pungency according to the specification; the Region detects notes of artichoke, cardoon and bitter greens, with a clean finish.

Chemical values are set precisely: maximum acidity of 0.7 grams per 100 grams of oil and total polyphenols of at least 100 ppm.

It is sold in glass or tin containers of up to five litres. The label shows the name Colline Salernitane with the words Protected Designation of Origin, the EU symbol and the harvest year, and each pack carries a guarantee mark with a unique alphanumeric code for traceability. Keep it cool and dark, between 14 and 18 degrees, and enjoy it within four to six months of pressing.

Sources: Qualigeo — Colline Salernitane DOP · Regione Campania — Colline Salernitane (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP

In the kitchen

Its intensely aromatic taste makes Colline Salernitane oil a very versatile dressing. Qualivita describes it as excellent raw on traditional Mediterranean dishes, while the Campania Region, precisely because of its rich aromas, suggests it for hearty dishes: pulse soups, pasta dishes of Campanian tradition and grilled fish.

The reason lies in its character: firm fruitiness, pleasant bitterness and pungency, a balanced body and notes of artichoke and cardoon, which the Region describes as qualities that come through even on pulses, pasta and fish. That is why it is mostly used raw, straight onto the plate.

A practical tip comes from the specification itself: extra virgin olive oil is perishable, and the best time to enjoy all its aromas is in the months after pressing.

Sources: Qualigeo — Colline Salernitane DOP · Regione Campania — Colline Salernitane (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP

Where to taste it

The Colline Salernitane area covers much of the province of Salerno, and its olive groves appear along many of Campania's finest routes. On the Amalfi Coast, a UNESCO site since 1997, the terraces above the sea are dotted with citrus, vines and olives, from Positano and Amalfi to Cetara and Vietri sul Mare.

Inland the same designation covers the Monti Picentini, the Alburni, the Sele and Calore valleys, the Tanagro hills and part of the Vallo di Diano: hilly landscapes where centuries-old olive trees are part of daily life and villages such as Oliveto Citra carry the olive in their very name.

The best time to taste new oil is between late autumn and winter, when the harvest ends and the olives reach the mill within two days. Visitors to the Amalfi Coast or the Monti Picentini can recognise it on the label by the name of the designation and the guarantee mark.

Sources: Regione Campania — Colline Salernitane (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP · Italia.it (Ministero del Turismo) — Costiera Amalfitana · Qualigeo — Colline Salernitane DOP

Protection

• Protected designation of origin (PDO) — PDO-IT-1545 (eAmbrosia — Colline Salernitane (PDO-IT-1545))

When

• The sources consulted give no months.

Where

Campania