Extra-Virgin Olive Oil in Chianti Cuisine
And Chianti olive oil is as tasty and genuine as the worldwide renowned Chianti wine! Let`s make a fundamental concept clear: olive oil can be defined extra-virgin only if it is produced by the use of physical means and no chemical treatment.
Three main olive varieties are cultivated in the Chianti region:
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�Frantoio�, used in the production of excellent oil with a fine aroma;
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�Leccino� used for producing oil having an intense aroma;
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�Moraiolo� used in the production of oil with a strong flavour.
Olives of the three varieties are ground together in order to have a balanced, light-green olive oil, having a fine aroma and a strong flavour. Chianti and Terre di Siena olive oils have obtained the PDO designation (that is, Protected Designation of Origin) from the European Union. However, apart from rules and regulation, you can perceive the high quality of these oils at the first taste!
Extra-virgin olive oil is ideal in raw for seasoning any dish, but can also be used for cooking. Incredible but true: olive oil maintains the antioxidant properties of olives and therefore can be used to treat some skin disorders, to protect hair and even to reduce cholesterol levels.
Olive oil is a fundamental ingredient of Chianti cuisine: "fettunta" is a slice of toasted bread with garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper; "pappa al pomodoro" (made of stale bread, peeled tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil) and "ribollita" (a traditional peasant soup made of bread, Savoy cabbage, black cabbage, beans and other seasons vegetables, whose name means "boiled twice") are excellent with a trickle of raw olive oil, as well as any kind of salad, the T-bone steak Florentine style or the "tagliata" (sliced steak). They would not taste the same without oil!
Almost every farm in the Chianti region produces olive oil. You can store extra-virgin olive oil in cool areas protected from direct light for more than a year. Your wonderful holidays in Chianti may then transform into an opportunity to maintain a healthy diet even at home... being good to oneself is loving oneself!
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