The Land of Olive Oil 2013. I never travel without my Olive Oil 6 Febbraio 2013 – Posted in: . ENGLISH TEXT

The text by Fulvio Pierangelini published in The Land of Olive Oil 2013.

Many years ago, as a child, I dreamt of eating voluptuous chocolate-like spreads or even the first “harmless” pre-packaged snacks with enclosed metal disks depicting animals or footballers for my afterschool snack. What I inevitably received was bread and sugar water or even more often, bread and oil. I wasn’t very happy at the time but, today, I am grateful to my mom. This is how the imprinting of olive oil was secured into my heart and brain and has accompanied me since then with a poignant emotion between memory and gastronomic identity. Since then, in my kitchen, olive oil is the primary point of reference. I would like to qualify the fact that I am not a fundamentalist since I am conscious of the disasters that could arise from it. I use quality butter whenever I deem it necessary, but now that I cook all over the world, wander around curiously, and stock up at markets in every latitude, I never travel without having packed “my” Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (the only oil allowed in my kitchens). Without this indispensable travel companion, I’d be lost and unable to prepare any dish that might represent my path respectably, my professional history, and the soul of Italian cuisine.
I have fought tireless battles in favour of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, and this is why, when asked by the well-established olive oil master Fausto Borella, to support and share his ideas on how to work to improve the quality of this fundamental ingredient, I answered yes with great pleasure. In fact, his struggle has been, and continues to be, mine as well: developing quality through increasing legislative reliability (we want Extra-Virgin Olive Oil to come from a direct pressing, without chemical intervention) and communicating it through other channels, ranging from specialist ones only, as in the case of this new publication signed by Fausto where the selected oils have been reviewed by him, as would be expected, but are also geographically identified and contextualised in their territory of origin, with the author recounting the cultural contents while pointing out the most beautiful places which, like olive oil, are good for the health of body and soul.