In Italy, we should invest more in the olive oil sector. In order to face difficult seasons such as the last, and be better prepared for the market, guaranteeing a more constant quality level. This is what emerges from the interview by Marisa Fumagalli to Luigi Caricato, which was published on the Corriere della Sera on January 23.
“If we don’t plant any olive trees, there is no future” states Caricato. While Italy excels in the wine sector and in fact its production is often considered excessive, as regards olive oil, our country is at the tail-end of Europe, behind Spain, Greece and Portugal. Italian oil is scarce, and so is our knowledge of this product. We know very little about our production zones, varieties, oil quality and pairing. We pay little attention when purchasing oil, and usually just grab a bottle from the supermarket shelves that appeals to us because of its label and price. We never consider it an important ingredient of our dishes, and the same occurs in restaurants.
