Terre Aurunche (extra virgin olive oil)

History and origin

The story of Terre Aurunche oil can also be read in the archives. A manuscript titled Territori et Oliveti A.G.P., probably kept by a church administration, records changes in the ownership of farmland in the area from 1680, and olive groves appear there as a category of their own, separate from every other crop: a sign of how much they mattered.

For country families the olive tree was a vital resource. Growing it was a family affair and often the only measure of wealth or poverty, so much so that at weddings the bride's dowry was valued by the staia, an old measure, of oil given to the groom's family.

The name of the main variety, Sessana, comes from Sessa Aurunca, the largest municipality in the production area, while the minor varieties allowed come from the neighbouring lands. Terre Aurunche oil was registered as a Protected Designation of Origin in 2011 and is looked after by its own consortium.

Sources: Qualigeo — Terre Aurunche DOP · Regione Campania — Terre Aurunche (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP · eAmbrosia — Terre Aurunche (PDO-IT-0571)

Area and method of production

The area lies in the north of the province of Caserta, around the extinct Roccamonfina volcano, and covers the whole territory of 18 municipalities: among them Sessa Aurunca, Roccamonfina, Teano, Carinola, Cellole, Mondragone, Galluccio, Marzano Appio, Conca della Campania and Tora e Piccilli. A mild climate and volcanic soils rich in minerals underpin the quality of the olives.

The oil comes from at least 70% Sessana olives, the native variety, with the rest from Corniola, Itrana and Tonacella, alone or together. The harvest ends by 31 December, by hand or with machines.

While waiting to be milled, which must happen by the second day, the olives stay in crates in cool, airy rooms, sheltered from rain and wind. The specification also limits malaxation, the stage in which the olive paste is slowly mixed: no more than 40 minutes and no more than 27 degrees. The oil is then stored in hermetically sealed stainless-steel drums in dry, dimly lit rooms.

Sources: Qualigeo — Terre Aurunche DOP · Regione Campania — Terre Aurunche (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP

How to recognise it

Its colour ranges from straw yellow to green of varying depth. The fruitiness is medium to high, with good bitterness and pungency, typical notes of artichoke and hints of sweet almond. The Campania Region highlights its good polyphenol content and acidity below 0.60, lower than the general limit for extra virgin oils.

These qualities come from the make-up of Sessana and from the meeting of a mild climate with volcanic soil rich in macro and trace elements. Qualivita describes it as an oil that strongly represents its land, precisely because it comes from native varieties.

It is sold in glazed terracotta, glass or tin containers of up to five litres, or in single-serve packs. The label must show the name Terre Aurunche, the harvest year and the designation's logo. Keep it cool, away from light and heat, and use it within six months of pressing, when its aromas and polyphenols are at their peak.

Sources: Qualigeo — Terre Aurunche DOP · Regione Campania — Terre Aurunche (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP

In the kitchen

Its fruity aroma and balance of bitterness and pungency make Terre Aurunche an oil to pair with many dishes of Italian regional tradition, as Qualivita suggests. Its notes of artichoke and sweet almond make it best suited to raw use, where its character stays intact.

The advice to use it within six months of pressing is not only about taste: the specification also ties it to the wealth of polyphenols, which decline over time. New oil, in the months after the harvest, is therefore the ideal time to taste it.

A drizzle of this oil on bruschetta, cooked vegetables or a bean soup is the simplest way to get to know it.

Sources: Qualigeo — Terre Aurunche DOP · Regione Campania — Terre Aurunche (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP

Where to taste it

The Terre Aurunche are the north-western corner of Campania, in the province of Caserta, between the extinct Roccamonfina volcano and the plain stretching to the sea at Mondragone and Cellole. Roccamonfina is an old village set in the woods of the Roccamonfina Volcanic Area and Garigliano Estuary Regional Park: the volcano has lost its cone shape, but the fertile soil it left behind still supports thick chestnut woods, and the same volcanic soils underpin the quality of the PDO's olives.

Just outside Roccamonfina's old centre stands the sanctuary of Santa Maria dei Làttani, linked to the visit of Saint Bernardino of Siena in 1430 after a statue of the Virgin was found. Sessa Aurunca, the largest municipality in the area, gave its name to the Sessana variety, and with Teano and the other municipalities of the designation it completes a route through olive-growing hills.

New oil can be tasted between late autumn and winter, after the harvest closes in December. On the label it is recognised by the name Terre Aurunche and the designation's logo.

Sources: Regione Campania — Terre Aurunche (olio extravergine di oliva) DOP · Italia.it (Ministero del Turismo) — Roccamonfina

Protection

• Protected designation of origin (PDO) — PDO-IT-0571 (eAmbrosia — Terre Aurunche (PDO-IT-0571))

When

• The sources consulted give no months.

Where

Campania