Food
and cooking articles and information:
Olive
Oil from Lake Garda in Italy
by
Judy Ridgway
 Most
people think of Tuscany when they think of Italian olive
oil but this year Tuscan growers of olives have had
a number of problems to contend with and not all the
oil is as good as it should is. The answer is to look
further afield to one of Italy's best kept olive oil
secrets - the region surrounding Lake Garda just south
of the Italian Tyrol in northern Italy.
Here
the Casaliva and other local olive varieties produce
extra virgin olive oil which is herbaceously fruity
with nuts and just the right amount of well balanced
bitterness and pepper. In fact, Casaliva is closely
related to Frantoio which is one of the leading olive
varieties of Tuscany.
The
Garda DOP region is split into three geographically
based areas and each of them has its own DOP or denomination
or origin oil. There is the Bresciano or Occidentale
area in Lombardy on the lower west side of the lake.
On the opposite side of the lake in the Veneto is the
Garda Orientale region. The third area is the Trentino
or Nord region, set on both shores at the head of the
lake in the Trentino.
Top
Olive Oil Producers
Producers
to look out for from the Lake Garda region include:
Veneto:
- Paolo
Bonomelli, Ca Rainene, Torri del Benaco
- Alex
Nember, Fattoria Il Paradiso, Puegnano del Garde
Lombardy:
- Leonardo
Rindone, Frantoio Valtenese, Polpenazze del Garda
- Turri
family, Turri Fratelli, Cavalon Veronese
Some
recipes to sample using oilve oil:
Courgette
and Broccoli Salad with Egg and Caper Dressing
Trout
Baked with Oil and Bayleaves
Cacciotta
Cheese and Chicory Salad
Judy
Ridgway
www.oliveoil.org.uk
©
Copyright 2008 Judy Ridgway - www.oliveoil.org.uk
Published
03 March 2008
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