There are four different types of olive oil, each classified based on their characteristics
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: must have a level of acidity below 0.8%. The extraction of the oil is strictly “cold pressed”, with temperatures hitting well below 28 degrees. This guarantees that the oil does not undergo changes due to temperature changes
Virgin Olive Oil: obtained naturally through mechanic production without the addition of any other ingredients/ substances. Acidity level in this type of olive oil is around 2%
Olive Oil: made from a mixture of refined oil and virgin oil with a maximum acidity around 1.5% (this is because refined olive oils are subject to chemicals that lower their acidity and remove their colour and scent)
Pomace Olive Oil: The poorest quality olive oil. Made from a mix of oils with pomace and treated with chemicals to keep the acidity level below 1.5%.
How do you choose a great EVOO?
Origin: It is mandatory for Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOO) to state the geographical derivation of the olives.
Bottle: look for darker bottles that protect the oil from light
Filter: filtered EVOO is better and lasts longer. Non filtered is less stable.
Price: unfortunately indicative of quality. It is unlikely to find high quality EVOO at very low prices.
Colour: EVOO should have a bright colour from green to yellow and an intense aroma
Organic: The quality tends to be better when organic because there is no use of pesticides, contaminants or acidity correctors
About Terroni EVOO
Our EVOO is made of 100% Coratina DOP Terra di Bari olives grown specifically for us using traditional methods by family friends just outside of Elena’s hometown of Bari, in Puglia.
It is cold-pressed in production which delivers the purest version possible, preserving the integrity of the olive.
Our olives never touch the ground. To be classified as an extra virgin olive oil the acidity level cannot be more than 1%. Our olive oil has an acidity level between 0.24%-0.27%. If you let the olives fall to the ground or let them sit in the sun, their acidity rises. Our olives are caught in nets and pressed within hours of picking.
Our EVOO is bright yellow-green in colour. Its taste is pungent with the characteristic bite of Coratina DOP olives, but has sweet notes of grass and a scent of wheatgrass.
In the early years, Elena and Cosimo would travel to watch the oil being pressed around the Christmas season. Afterward, Cosimo would pack the oil drums into a shipping container, return home to Canada ahead of the shipment and unload it once it arrived in Toronto.
Guests are surprised and not always pleased that we don’t serve balsamic vinegar with our bread and olive oil. But Cosimo is unwavering. He wants his guests to experience the absolute height of olive oil, the fruits of his labour and those of the producer. To enjoy it and taste the simple beauty of it. He wants people to love it as much as he does.
“To put a balsamic vinegar in it, it’s like pouring water into a fine bottle of wine. You’re killing it, and I just won’t do it.” Cosimo Mammoliti
My parents moved from Calabria because there was nothing there. My mom family moved here when she was 12. My father was the first of his family that moved here.
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