Do you know where your olive oil comes from?
Do you know where your olive oil comes from?
Many bottles of extra virgin olive oil from brands sold in supermarkets are not what they advertise. Independent tests done at UCDavis in 2011 found that of the top 5 best selling brands in the United States, 73% of the samples failed to meet extra virgin olive oil standards. While fake olive oil is most often diluted with lesser quality oils, sometimes it’s not even from Italy at all.
One way to be certain of your olive oil’s purity is to know the farmer that produces it. By doing so, you ensure not only that you are getting the real thing but are supporting local growers in the process. That’s one of the reasons I particularly like Pomora’s Adopt an Olive Tree Program.
You can adopt or foster your very own olive tree from farmers in Italy who cold-press their oils using traditional methods. What you get is a quarterly shipment that includes three tins of oils that vary by season.
I recently tried the Olio Nuovo from their winter shipment and was impressed with the fresh, vibrant peppery taste of the oil. It’s excellent for cold preparations when you really want the taste to stand out like vinaigrettes and pestos.
Pomora has generously offered to give one Gourmande in the Kitchen reader a 1-Year Olive Tree Adoption! A tree adoption is a fun way to support traditional farmers and makes a pretty unique gift for a food lover (hint: Mother’s Day is just around the corner). Just enter below for a chance to win.
(Disclosure: I was provided with samples of the product for the purpose of this giveaway but all opinions are my own and I only share products I like.)
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