Digging For Liquid Gold in Southern Italy: Olive Oil

The next time you visit Southern Italy,don`t forget to purchase some extra-virgin oil as this is the land of extra-virgin oil. Olive Oil Tours in Lecce Puglia Southern Italy are memorable experiences as you get an opportunity to taste the finest extra-virgin olive oil here. Olive oil is obtained from the olive (Olea europaea; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin.

Did you know that olive oil is nick named as “Liquid Gold”? Yes this is true because of its amazing medicinal and cosmetic properties. The olive tree is known for its abundance, glory and peace. Approximately thirty varieties of olive trees are grown in Southern Italy and each tree specializes in producing a particular oil with unique features.The Italian folk tradition believes than ideal habitat for an olive tree is a combination of 5 essential components : Sun, Stone , Silence, Solitude and Drought.

The taste of the olive oil depends on 2 key factors :

The soil on which the olive tree growsThe moment when the olives have been harvested and ground.

In ancient times, people believed that olive oil bestowed strength and youth. The extra-virgin oil found in Southern Italy is a no less than a treasure because of its nutritional and valuable virtues.The extra-virgin olive oil is the most digestible of all edible fats.It is also popular for its culinary virtues and is an essential ingredient in most of the salads that we relish.It is also used with foods to be eaten cold. The extra-virgin oil can be made from blends of different varieties of olives or can be made from a single variety.

A few recommendations for blending olive oil with food and cooking:

Always use quality olive oilExtra virgin or the cold pressed olive oil is the highest quality olive oil available and is popularly used in restaurants.   This variety is used as a dressing for salads.Virgin olive oil contains less flavor and aroma than the extra virgin oil and is used for frying, grilling and roasting.

Olive oil also works as a natural and safe lubricant.So the next time you encounter any problem with your cookware or grinder, use olive oil. Athletes in ancient Greece rubbed olive oil all over their body because of its miraculous healing properties.Women all over the world love olive oil as it has amazing properties to slow down the aging process and give a youthful look. In addition to its amazing moisturizing effects, olive oil can also be used as an effective shaving oil to shave facial and other body hair.In Calabria, the women regularly use olive oil to take care of their hair and hands.

As a side note, to find the best and finest olive oil in Italy,go to Calabria.

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