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Pitted Olive Oil “Degli Dei” (Of the Gods)
In collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture at Bari University, for four years now we have produced an extra virgin olive oil that comes from only the flesh of the olive fruit, i.e. - pitted olives.
This technique dramatically changes the nature of the oil. It is a method that eliminates certain substances, such as traces of wood, that can leave the oil with a negative quality. Such matter can affect the oils longevity but above all it means that the different flavours of each cultivar may homogenise.
Therefore the unique flavour of the “ogliarola” olive is greatly emphasized by the lack of the olive stone. In effect the oil gains the same sort of qualities that we may associate with certain wines that come from a single variety of grape thus establishing a tight bond with the soil rather than the holistic psychology behind “blended” olive oils.
It is a modern technique, sparked by an ancient tradition: In the 1st century A.D Columella drew up his “Treaty of the Country King” in which he distinguished the difference between the oil “degli schiavi” (“of the slaves”), the oil “dei re” (“of the kings”) and the oil “degli Dei” – the only one that came from pitted olives!
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