The Tuscan Diet - Olive Oil

Quite possibly the most essential element in Tuscan cooking is extra-virgin olive oil.

Olives growing in Tuscany, ready for harvest

Olive oil is super good for you.  There have been several clinical trials that have shown that adding olive oil to your diet may actually lower your cholesterol levels and therefore, may help lower the risk for coronary heart disease.  Other clinical trials claim that olive oil can help prevent the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.  Olive oil even has anti-inflammatory properties in it!  So why wouldn't you want to add it into your diet?

A tasting station for olive oil at Le Cantine di Greve in Chianti

Besides all of the health benefits, olive oil tastes amazing. A good olive oil will add fantastic flavor to your foods.  The region where the olives grow, type of olive, ripeness, and several other factors can effect the flavor of the oil.  The color of the oil can range from a greenish to a yellow-green color.

If you are in the US, you need to be aware that the US government has refused to adopt the International Olive Oil Council standards, so just because the bottle might say "extra-virgin", doesn't mean it actually contains extra-virgin olive oil.  To be completely certain that what you're buying is extra-virgin olive oil, look on the label for a COOC label (California Olive Oil Council), which has adopted the IOOC's standards.  If it is an imported Italian olive oil, look for the initials DOP (or DPO), which stands for Denominazione d'Origine Protetta (Protected Designation of Origin).  This provides assurance of the quality of the oil.

Cold pressed olive oil means pretty much exactly what it sounds like:  during the pressing of the olives to extract the oil, no heat was used.  This is a good thing, because it preserves the nutrients in the oil.

Flavored olive oils can be an interesting thing
to try out.  This orange flavored oil is one that
we tasted in Chianti.

Olive oil should be stored away from light and heat.  Both light and heat can effect the flavor of the oil as well as causing it to spoil quicker than usual.  Keeping it in a pantry or cupboard away from the oven, or at least keep it further away from the stove.  Make sure that you use the oil within a month or two so that the nutrients are at their optimal levels, because they do drop over time.

Tuscans use olive oil on just about everything.  (We go through a bottle of olive oil every week and a half or so!)  They will put it on salads, bread, soup, pasta, meat...you name it.  As a matter of fact, a super easy way to make garlic bread is the way they do it in Italy.  Simply take a piece of bread (preferably Tuscan read), toast it, then take a clove of garlic and rub it vigorously on both sides of the toasted bread.  Then drizzle a little olive oil on the top.  Buono!  Less work and better for you nutritionally!