Olive Oil

One of the fascinations of olive oil is its variety, the result not only of the way in which the olives are harvested and pressed, but also of the type, and of the soil and climatic conditions in which they are grown. If extracted from fully ripe olives, the oil will be delicately sweet in taste and golden in color. When made from partially ripe olives, as is often the case in Italy, it has a sharper taste and a greenish tinge (although a few green olive oils are full and fruity).

Many connoisseurs feel the best olive oils come from Italy and Provence, but the robust aromatic oils of Greece, Portugal and Spain are also appreciated. Tunisia, Morocco, California and Turkey are other important producers.