PDO - Kalamata Olive Oil

Here in North America we have a good variety of extra virgin olive oils (EVOO) but local demand prefers lighter and more bland ones.  Growing up in Italy we had nicely "spicy" and flavorful examples from the southern provinces like Molise.  Finding extra virgin olive oil that matches this profile has not been that easy.  The large exporters from Italy like to blend Mediterranean oils from different countries with a golden color and sweet, light and often boring taste.

In recent years supermarkets have gone through a phase of offering more special and expensive, single origin oils.  Undiscerning consumers might think that if the olive oil is $30-$50 for 1 liter it must be good.  This is not always true.  Money pays for something that is rare and special but not necessarily better tasting.

On a recent trip to Milan the Esselunga Supermarket regular line EVOO was strong and flavorful and affordable.  I think that this kind of flavorful oil is only recently getting sold outside of Italy and now Whole Foods sells a 100% Italian EVOO but I still need to try it.

My search stopped when I bought Kalamata EVOO from Greece.  This oil has a dark yellow color leaning towards green, a sweet and fruity flavor with a fresh richness that is difficult to find. The oil is not too acidic or too strong but still super flavorful.  I bought the one marketed by Krinos - see picture.  It's EFFING GOOD!

The good thing about this EVOO is that it is a PDO product - Protected Designation of Origin so in theory the product comes from a specific area and you know what to expect.  If you buy a 100% Italian origin olive oil it does not guarantee much as Italy produces oils of very different flavor profiles.

Kalamata olive oil is from the Messinia prefecture in the south Peloponnese where the city of Kalamata overlooks the sunny Messenian Gulf.  Here the landscape is as warm and beautiful as the olives. At the same latitude of Sicily the climate is optimal for growing olives and the hills allow good aeration of the trees.  The soil is light and calcareous and the terrain forces some growers to use traditional methods of cultivation.  The plots are small and farmers take great care of their trees.  They are very experienced: more than 3,000 years of olive cultivation history.

The olives used are of two varieties Koroneiki and Mastoeidis.  The first is native to Messinia.

Kalamata olive oil stood the "bread test."  Pour some oil on a plate and use a piece of baguette to soak it up.  If the flavors and sweetness of the oil stands out when you eat the bread it means it's a very good olive oil.

This EVOO is quite strong so it's best used for cold food preparations, salads or added to hot dishes at the end of cooking.  You can use it also to pan fry white fish or chicken or on a fresh piece of cheese.