Why Tuscany Olive Oil
is the Best Italian Olive Oil?

Tuscan Olive Oil Ratings and Information

Tuscany olive oil is considered to be one of the best Italian olive oils. And Italy is one of the first countries in the world for its quantity and quality of olive oil production.

Here you will find useful information of about Tuscan olive oil such as:

What is the difference between extra virgin olive oil and olive oil

Why Tuscany olive oil is the best of Italian oils

How olive oil is used in Tuscan cuisine

Olive oil nutrition and health benefits

Ratings of Italian and Tuscan olive oil producers

When Tuscan olive oil festivals are held

How to choose quality olive oil

Importance of Olive Oil in Tuscan Cuisine

World famous Tuscan cuisine is a harmonious combination of simple yet rich flavours and ingredients.

Two of the most important ingredients in Italian Tuscan cuisine are bread and olive oil. Therefore most of the recipes in the Mediterranean diet presume cooking with olive oil one way or the other.

Difference between extra virgin olive oil and olive oil

What is the difference between regular olive oils and extra virgin olive oil? The difference lies within the olive oil manufacturing process.

Extra virgin olive oil is produced exclusively from the fruits collected directly from the tree and it must be pressed within just a few hours. If waited too long, the acidity of oil will be too high.

Olives from the ground are, too, collected for pressing so called lampante oil which is not suitable for human consumption. Lampante is a very high acidity oil containing a lot of impurities so it then goes through a refining process.

After passing a full refining process, refined lampante oil is added to a small amount of Extra virgin oil, and from that point it is called Olive oil. There are no specific rules how much extra virgin oil must be added to lampante. Therefore it is up to the olive oil manufacturer to decide on proportions.

Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil

Remember that it is a pure Extra virgin olive oil that has most of the healing properties and health benefits for us and our children. Below we will see why olive oils produced in Tuscany are of a very high quality comparing with the south of Italy, for example.

Why Tuscan Oil is the Best Italian Olive Oil?

It all starts with olive oil production. Harvesting of olives in Italy is usually done in November.

Olive trees in Tuscany have a rather small amount of olives on them. And it is well known that the less fruit on the tree, the better the quality.

For example, from one Tuscan olive tree no more than 1 - 2 kg of olive oil can be produced, while on the south of Italy you can obtain about 5 kg of olive oil from the one tree harvest. To compare, in Greece, for instance, about 10 kg of olive oil can be pressed from each olive tree.

That is why Tuscany olive oil stands out well ahead of other oils produced in different territories.

Guided tour of the olive grove with oil tasting

Best Tuscany Olive Oil Ratings

What is the best olive oil of Tuscany Italy?

According to the Slow Food association in Italy the best olive oil manufacturers in Tuscany 2011 are:

Castello di Ama
Olio Extravergine di Oliva Dop Chianti Classico

Rolando Grassi
Olio Extravergine di Oliva Dop Chianti Classico Monocultivar Frantoio L'Olinto da Agricoltura Biologica

Marchesi De' Frescobaldi
Olio Extravergine di Oliva Laudemio First Pressing

Giacomo Grassi
Olio Extravergine di Oliva Monocultivar di Olivobianco

I Greppi di Silli
Olio Extravergine di Oliva Monocultivar di Pendolino

Fattorie Parri
Olio Extravergine di Oliva Igp Toscano

Fattoria Le Corti
Olio Extravergine di Oliva Dop Chianti Classico Le Corti da Agricoltura Biologica

Poggio al Gello
Olio Extravergine di Oliva Monocultivar Frantoio Tara da Agricoltura Biologica

Felsina
Olio Extravergine di Oliva Monocultivar Leccino Denocciolato Metodo Veronelli da Agricoltura Biologica

How to Choose Quality Olive Oil?

First of all, ask yourself why you buy olive oil - for salad dressing or dipping recipes, or for cooking hot dishes. For raw consumption you should choose for extra virgin olive oil, while for cooking usual olive oil is just fine.

Second of all, pay the attention at the color of olive oil. Tuscan oil has a rich green color and a fantastic aroma. Oils produced in other territories may have bright yellow, light green or gold colors which depends on the area where they've been grown and their degree of maturity.

Quality olive oil taste must be fresh. The taste of olive oil also depends on the type of olives, as the color, so there are no unique quality standards here. However, complete lack of taste or a bitter taste mean that this oil is of low quality or it has been improperly stored. These low quality oils are not worth buying and consuming.

High quality Tuscany olive oil has a slight aftertaste of spice, and it smells nice - like fruit or tart herbs. It can be perfectly used for cooking pasta, rice, various soups and meat on the grill.

Read the label on the olive oil bottle. The label must indicate the category of oil, oil acidity rate (no more than 3.3%), how and for how long you can store the oil, and manufacturer information.

Some of the best of Tuscan extravirgin oils come from Lucca area such as Bertolli Lucca Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Find more interesting information about Tuscany olive oil in the links below:

Tuscan Olive Oil Festivals

Olive Oil for Hair