The Post of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Vinegar

Cooking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVO) has become more and more popular as well as being very healthy. And vinegar, especially Balsamic vinegar is more and more present on our tables when dressing a salad. Visiting few Food fairs I've seen very interesting products, some are already sold in UK while others are still very new waiting to find a distributor and stockists.

*Italian* Agrumato is a family run business in Abruzzo on the east side of Italy. These fantastic EVO oils are not the usual infused oils that you can find almost everywhere. At Agrumato they press citrus fruits and olives together under a granite millstone. The range includes  oils with Lemon, with Blood Orange, with Orange, with Lemon and Herbs and with Tangerine. Drizzle your favourite ones over a salad for a punch of flavours or make a simple sauce adding just garlic and chillies for a different Spaghetti sauce. Check online and contact them to know who stocks their products in UK. www.agrumato.it

*French* Aix&Terra is based in Provence. French EVO is still not very well known as a products but lately quite few brands from the South of France have been seen around and the oils are divine. Aix&Terra has got a great selection of gourmet products included the EVO Oil and fruit vinegars like these two bottle, one is raspberry pulp vinegar and the other one is fig pulp vinegar, extremely delicious for glazing or dressing a salad. Check online to find a stockist, they are already on the UK market through the distributor Artisan Olive Oil Company   at www.artisanoliveoilcompany.com  www.aixetterra.com

*Italian* La Ca' dal Non is dialect from Modena and it means "The House of Grand Father" because this family run business is in its 5th generation since 1883 producing balsamic vinegar. if you think that you can only use balsamic vinegar over salads or grilled meat and fish think again. I've tried it over avocado and it is delicious over strawberries or vanilla ice cream. The UK distributor is the Artisan Olive Oil Company  www.artisanoliveoilcompany.com and you can know about the company history on its website  at www.balsamico.farm

*Italian* In beautiful Tuscany and precisely in the Chanti area  at Bagni a Ripoli near Florence you can find the Castel Ruggero Pellegrini farm where EVO oil is produced. The farm is certified as organic and it is possible to rent a flat for a countryside holiday where you can sample the great food. The EVO Oil has got the Black Rooster symbol, typical of the Chianti wine bottles as a seal of approval for belonging in this area. Contact them to know who stocks this great EVO Oil which I've used in several recipes and it has an incredible flavour. www.castelruggeropellegrini.it

*French* Moulin Castelas is another Provencal farm where EVO Oil is produced using local olives and combining different fruits when pressing them. Also they 've got a selection of EVO Oils  where the olives are pressed together with fruits or herbs for a wholesome flavour. They are not yet in UK but you can order online and I would check the other products like EVO Oil soap or lavender Honey, all made with local products. www.castelas.com

*Italian* Cipriani Food is a branch of the uber famous Restaurant Cipriani in Venice. Luckily for us, they 've developed the food section to produce the various ingredients needed at the restaurant, and then opened up the possibility to buy from them. Cipriani Food is present in 30 countries. The EVO Oil is the one used in the kitchen of the Harry's Bar since the beginning. www.ciprianifood.com

*Italian* I love Balsamic Vinegars and I like to experiment with them. After all you won't find two balsamic vinegars from different farms with the same flavours, because the recipes used are handed down from previous generations and also "The Mother" which is the substance essential to make vinegar that could be different. The Balsamic Vinegar by Due Vittorie is extremely good and flavoured and you can find it at Ocado and Amazon. www.duevittorie.com

*Italian* I find this bottle of Giuseppe Giusti Balsamic Vinegar absolutely beautiful. When I've seen it I've commented that it reminded me of an ink pot and they've confirmed that the inspiration was just that. The Giuseppe Giusti family run company is the oldest Balsamic Vinegar farm in the world being founded in 1605 so they've been doing Vinegar for over 400 years and for 17th generations. The recipe is a secret handed down from father to son and it is not written anywhere. This liquid jewel is available in UK through  La Credenza Ltd www.lacredenza.co.uk but check the beautiful website where you can learn the history of the Giusti family at www.giusti.it

*Greek* Greece is another country, together with Italy and Spain, famous for its EVO Oil.  The Olvia oil is made by the Tzortzis family who controls all the different phases of production. Each olive tree has been planted by the family over the past 100 years. The EVOs are organic and  the one pictured  is delicate with a punch perfect for cooking or eating raw in salad or with bread. Check  how to purchase it at www.allabouttheolive.co.uk

*Spanish* Orobailen is a Spanish family run  producer of EVO Oils as well as delicious products like Oil Pearls or Oil Marmalade, but I will write about these in a following post. For now let's concentrate with the Oils which are extremely flavoured and fruity. They sell online at the www.artisanoliveoilcompany.com on Amazon but contact them first if you want to buy directly for international orders and enquiries about stockists in UK at www.orobailen.com

*French*  La Lieutenante is a family run producer of EVO Oil in Provence. The range comprises of EVO oils produced with green olives or black olives and then a range of flavoured oils where the olives have been pressed together with the herbs selected in order to have a full flavour. They are sold at Taste Distribution or you can contact them directly at www.lalieutenante.com

*Spanish* O-Med is another Spanish Olive mill and they produce EVO Oils with cutting edge technology in order to create different flavours. This beautiful white bottle is a Limited Edition Oil made with Picual Olives. It is perfect with meat, tomato salad and raw over soups or cheese. Contact them to know about UK stockists or order online directly at www.omedoil.com

*Greek* The Greek EVO Oil Philotimo is the result of collecting the olives from several small farms in the Peloponnese area and producing an incredible, organic, sustainable oil from the Koroneiki variety, cold pressed from hand picked fruits. Contact them to know where it is stocked  at www.thegreeksecret.com

*Italian* I've known Olio Tamia EVO Oil for some time  and I know its products as well as the awards won all over the world. This family run olive mill is from Italy and precisely from North Latium in the middle of the Etruscan area. The Oils are organic and in three varieties, two monoculture and the gold one that comprises three different kind of fruits. Contact them to know who stock these incredible liquid gold in a bottle. www.oliotamia.com

*Italian*  Tenuta Marmorelle comes from Apulia and this family business produces, as well as EVO Oil, Balsamic Vinegar directly from Modena, Pasta from Apulia and delicacies like peppers stuffed with tuna or artichokes and sun dried tomatoes and more. The EVO Oil comes from olives cold pressed  within 6 hours of being picked. The quality Zero, pictured, is harvested earlier than the normal harvesting period giving it  its characteristic flavour.You can buy online in UK at www.tenutamarmorelle.com