The Myth of Italian Olive Oil

When most Americans think of olive oil, they think of Italian olive oil. While Italian olive oil certainly can be superior, this automatic thought link has more to do with marketing and exposure than quality. Italy doesn't grow enough olives to support their own consumption, and the worldwide olive oil industry is highly unregulated. Most 'Italian' olive oils available in American groceries are actually only bottled in Italy - they are grown and processed in Spain, Portugal, Greece and some Middle East countries. After processing, the oil is transported to Italy, where it is blended with other imported oils, bottled under an Italian label and exported to the US. All this travel and processing takes time and leaves the oil aging, losing flavor as it bumps slowly along the transport chain. One Italian woman told me that to get good oil in Italy, you must know someone with trees.

I didn't know any of this when I was reading Frances Mayes' memoir Under the Tuscan Sun. She is poetic in her description of Bramasole's own olive oil and its many culinary uses, and I was left bemused. While her writing was stunning in its beauty, my experiences with olive oil had left me less than impressed. Her description of the bright and distinct flavor was in direct opposition to my experience, a tasteless, oily coating on my tongue which left me scrubbing surreptitiously with a piece of plain bread. I wondered if the taste buds required to enjoy olive oil were missing from my DNA.