Cilento (Cilento olive oil)
DOP Cilento is an Italian extra virgin olive oil with the following chemical and organoleptic characteristics:
- Acidity: max. 0.70%
- Peroxides: < 12 Meq 02/kg
- Colour: from green to yellow
- Aroma: fruity
- Flavour: fruity, with a hint of a pungent, bitter taste.
GEOGRAPHICAL AREA:
The production area of DOP Cilento oil includes part of the administrative area located south of the province of Salerno.
EVIDENCE OF ORIGIN:
The growing of olives in the Cilento area has ancient, noble traditions; its origins go back to the time of the ancient colonies of Magna Graecia, followed by the Roman occupation of the area. The first people to grow olives in what is now the Cilento area were the Focesi, who, at the request of the people of Poseidonia, settled at the mouth ("foce") of the Alento river, where they founded what is now called Velia (540 B.C.). Historical tradition attributes to the Focesi the introduction of the oldest variety of olive for oil, the "Pisciottana", the name of which comes from the Pisciotta area of the commune of Cilento, where it was first grown.
ACQUISITION:
DOP Cilento extra virgin olive oil is produced from healthy olives, harvested by December 31 of each year. The per hectare yield of olives may not exceed 11,000 kg/ha in the specialized olive groves, with a maximum oil yield of 22%. The only extraction methods permitted are those physical and mechanical processes which most faithfully preserve the particular and original characteristics of the fruit.
LINK:
It is the "Pisciottana" variety, the dominant*variety in the area, which gives "Cilento" olive oil its particular characteristics. This massive variety of olive tree is grown only in the Cilento area, where it takes its name from Pisciotta, in the commune of Cilento, and is perfectly adapted to the environment. Due to the small size of the fruit and the period in which it ripens, it is resistant to harmful organisms; because of the high number of shoots it produces, it is very resistant to the salty air and winds in the area, and because of high resistance to drought it is able to grow and produce in an arid zone such as the Cilento area.
Reference: The European Commission
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