Olio di Calabria (extra virgin olive oil)

History and origin

Olive oil production in Calabria has its roots in ancient times. The specification summary for Olio di Calabria PGI recalls two documents that bear witness to its reputation. The first, from 1865, shows that some areas of the region supplied oil to the Bourbon royal household. The second is a Royal Decree of 1888, which set up an experimental oil mill in Palmi, in the province of Reggio Calabria, to improve olive oil: an early sign of the will to look after its quality.

The Protected Geographical Indication, registered in 2016, gathers this history under a single name and puts the whole region on the label, showcasing the olive varieties born and grown on its land, from Carolea to Dolce di Rossano, from Grossa di Gerace to Tonda di Strongoli.

Sources: Qualigeo — Olio di Calabria IGP · eAmbrosia — Olio di Calabria (PGI-IT-01314)

Area and method of production

The production area is the whole territory of the region. At least 90% of the olives must come from widely grown native cultivars, alone or blended: Carolea, Dolce di Rossano, Sinopolese, Grossa di Gerace, Tondina, Ottobratica, Grossa di Cassano and Tonda di Strongoli. The rest may come from other, less common local varieties.

The olives are picked from the tree between 15 September and 15 January, by hand, with mechanical aids or with shakers; olives fallen on the ground or on permanent nets may not be used. They travel in crates or rigid, ventilated containers and must be milled within 24 hours. The oil yield may not exceed 20%, and production may not exceed 12 tonnes of olives per hectare.

At the mill the olives are only de-leafed and washed with water; extraction uses mechanical and physical processes alone, at a maximum temperature of 30 degrees.

Sources: Qualigeo — Olio di Calabria IGP

How to recognise it

Olio di Calabria PGI ranges in colour from green to straw yellow and changes over time. On the nose it has a fruitiness of green or just-turning olives, with floral and artichoke notes and lingering hints of freshly cut grass, leaf and tomato, green or ripe.

On the palate it stands out for its balance: it is moderately bitter and peppery, a character due to its medium-high polyphenol content, which the specification sets at no less than 200 parts per million.

It is sold in dark glass bottles, ceramic, glazed terracotta or tins of no more than five litres. The label carries the product logo, and the pack bears a guarantee seal with a unique alphanumeric code that allows it to be traced.

Sources: Qualigeo — Olio di Calabria IGP

In the kitchen

Extra virgin olive oil spoils easily and must be stored with care: in stainless steel or other suitable containers, somewhere cool, away from light, between 12 and 20 degrees.

The product sheet points to where it shows its best: in typical Calabrian pasta dishes, such as ziti in the pan with aubergines and 'nduja, and in fish starters. It is therefore first of all the seasoning of the regional cuisine, and the name on the label guarantees that the olives were grown, picked and milled in Calabria.

Sources: Qualigeo — Olio di Calabria IGP

Where to taste it

As a regional PGI, Olio di Calabria is found across the whole region, from the Tyrrhenian hills to the Ionian ones, and the best season to get to know it is the harvest, between autumn and early winter.

Two museums help explain olive oil culture. In the Sila National Park area, in Zagarise, the Olive Oil Museum occupies the rooms of an old restored mill in the historic centre, with a display of tools and equipment for processing olives and the history of olive growing. On the upper Ionian coast, in Trebisacce, the Ludovico Noia Museum of olive oil craft and rural culture tells the story of the town's oil production.

Visitors to our Sila destination can combine the mountains with a stop in Zagarise; when buying, just look on the label for the PGI logo and the guarantee seal.

Sources: Qualigeo — Olio di Calabria IGP · Parco Nazionale della Sila — Musei e tradizioni · Italia.it — Trebisacce

Protection

• Protected geographical indication (PGI) — PGI-IT-01314 (eAmbrosia — Olio di Calabria (PGI-IT-01314))

When

• Harvest: January, September–December (Qualigeo — Olio di Calabria IGP)
• Winter
• Autumn

Where

Calabria