Orazio Scaldaferri is not a fan of blended olive oils.
"If you want chili pepper in your olive oil just add it to your pasta, to your sauce, you don't really have to put it in your oil," he says.
His favourite way to eat olive oil is o toast a few slices of quality crusty bread, drizzle a dab of oil on top and finish with a sprinkle of salt. He has also been known to combine olive oil with a few drops of balsamic vinegar and just dip the bread in it.
Scaldaferri (seen in the photo above), is a West Vancouver real estate agent by day and knows what he's talking about when it comes to the golden liquid. For the past five years, he has been working with his family on a unique venture called Orazio's Olive Oil, which produces and exports organic cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil from his family olive grove in Italy.
An olive grove in Calabria has been in the family for generations, and not long ago they decided to expand their oil production, which previously only tapped into the Italian market, by teaming with a neighbour who owned more olive trees and a mill.
"Olive oil is a very delicate and it's a very precise sort of product," notes Scaldaferri. The olives are picked in the fall and are milled within 24 hours in order to comply with a strict certification process.
The oil is called "extra virgin" because it's the first press, the first juice that comes out of the olives.
"It's the purest and it is also the highest in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals."
When it comes to choosing an olive oil, Scaldaferri suggests considering the acidity content. "The higher the acidity content the more pungent, strong the oil tastes," he explains, adding different oils do not taste the same. "They each have a distinct personality. It's like wine except wine gets better with age."
