Product Description
Cilento DOP oil is obtained by pressing at least 85% of olives of the Pisciottana, Rotondella, Ogliarola, Frantoio, Salella and Leccino varieties; Furthermore, other local varieties present in the production area may contribute to an extent not exceeding 15%. When consumed, the oil is straw yellow in color with good liveliness and intensity; often clear, sometimes veiled. Upon olfactory examination it shows a light fruity scent, sometimes with notes of apple and green leaf. The taste is pale and delicate of fresh olive, basically sweet with barely perceptible lively notes of bitter and spicy. It is fairly fluid, with evident hints of pine nuts and an aftertaste of hazelnut and almond. The acidity is always lower than the value of 0.70%. The notable presence of aromatic notes makes the use of this oil preferable on dishes of a certain consistency, typical of the area of origin, such as grilled fish, wild salads, boiled vegetables, legumes and first courses in general. The "Cilento" DOP oil is the result of the harmonization of the most modern processing technologies with a thousand-year-old tradition. At an agronomic level, particular care is taken during the phases of harvesting, transport and conservation of the olives. To be eligible for the production of DOP oil, the olives must be harvested strictly by hand; the use of mechanical facilitating means, such as shakers and vibrating combs, is authorised; the nets are permitted exclusively to facilitate collection operations, which must be carried out by 31 December of each year. The maximum production of olives per hectare is 110 quintals, while the maximum oil yield is 22%. The olives must be pressed within 48 hours of harvesting.
Background
The presence of oil has characterized the Cilento landscape for centuries and represents the main, and sometimes only, resource of the local populations, so much so that it has become an integral part of their daily life. The olive tree in Cilento, land of myths and home to the National Park of the same name, has ancient roots. Recent archaeobotanical research has documented the presence of the olive tree as early as the 4th century. BC. Tradition, however, has it that the first plants were introduced by the Phocian colonists, a refugee population of Greek origin. In fact, they were the ones who introduced the oldest local oil variety, the Pisciottana, which resists the brackish winds of the area very well, is very productive even in an arid area like Cilento and still today gives Cilento oil its recognized typicality. The Cilento olive tree, between the temples of Paestum and the ruins of Velia, also imposed its presence on the great Italian poets of the past: ...olive trees, always olive trees! in the middle there are olive trees, like flocks of sheep... writes Ungaretti in one of his poems from 1933. Furthermore, the famous American nutritionist Keys, the father of the Mediterranean diet, also lived for many years in Cilento, which uses olive oil olive attributes a key role, as it determines a reduction in serum cholesterol, improves the functionality of the cardiovascular system, and protects the organism, with its set of phenolic substances, from serious alterations.
Production area
The production and processing area of Cilento DOP oil includes 62 municipalities, located south of the province of Salerno, all included in the area of the Cilento and Vallo di Diano National Park and all characterized by the presence of centuries-old olive trees, which represent the dominant element of the landscape.
(Fonte Regione Campania Assessorato Agricoltura)
