We like the California Olive Ranch Arbequina oil.
5 Likes
3 Likes
I havent had any in while, but I really like like the oil from “Fet a Soller” (Made in Soller).
Regular readers will remember I have a Spanish brother in law who originates from the town of Soller on Mallorca. When he and my wife’s sister first got together, nearly 40 years ago, they lived at first with his parents. The parents owned a few olive trees and it was a family occasion to do the picking (there was another occasion for the annual pig slaughter). So, the SiL would tell us she’d been out for hours , over several days, getting the crop in.
What happens next is that everyone took their olives to the community press, to be weighed and the oil extracted. They would get a proportion of oil back for personal use and the remainder would be sold locally. With the increase in tourism, Fet A Soller was formed and the products are now distributed more widely - it is now a commercial, rather than co-operative, venture
6 Likes
Interesting study…
I started googling Davis because a friend gave me a bottle she’d had in her cupboard.
4 Likes
@LindaW [quote=“LindaWhit, post:17, topic:18972”]
S
[/quote]
Yes, there are a number of exemplary Spanish Evvo´s and designations too.
When I cook Spanish or Catalan cuisine, I use only Spanish Evoo. When I cook Italian, Italian and Greek Mezze, I use a flawless masterpiece of art from Pelopponnese.
I have quite a collection of Spanish Extra virgin olive oils. Particulary from small producers in Tarragona and Girona and Western Barcelona … However, I also use an ecological Jaén based Evoo which comes from a small grove.
2 Likes
A northern Barcelona Evoo of fine quality and small production.
3 Likes
Ohhh, I would SO order from them if I could! But seems to be Euro-based sales only.
2 Likes
'Fraid so, Linda
A couple of years back, my nephew (who was born there) bought all his family Christmas presents from Fet a Soller. Great fun. I remember mine was jar of olives - they crack them so the brine can penetrate better and are quite bitter. Always my first purchase when we’re on the island and visiting the weekly market at Pollensa.
2 Likes
I’m going to have to try to get by here. Do you know when they harvest?
1 Like
I don’t, but I’ll look into it.
1 Like
Thank you! This link offers an email address to participate in the next one.
There are a few orchards around here, and one of my husbands colleagues makes oil.
2 Likes
Like others, we use California Olive Ranch as our regular oil. For a finishing oil, we’ve been getting a Spanish picual from Oro Bailén that’s available at a local olive oil shop.
5 Likes
We take a long weekend now and then to Mallorca and they have some amazingly extraordinary Red Wines and small grove Extra virgin olive oils.
Thanks for the feedback …
@California,
We do not have a market due to the fact that Spain, Italy, Marseille - Provençe and Greece as well as Croatia (old world producers) are producers and Californian Evoo or Wines are much more expensive than our local products, and same goes for Sparkling wines …
In top Michelin restaurants, one can find a couple of Californian wines however, it is not too common.
We have a mega wine store called Lavinia in Barcelona and Madrid as well as El Corte Ingles Wine Department Store which has an enormous super market …
And there are a few wines from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, California, Romania, Bulgaria, Italy of course and France of course.
Thanks for all the feedback.
1 Like
I can attest to the quality of the UC Davis olive oil. Our eldest daughter graduated from there and gifted us some. After college she lived in Sacramento for quite a few years. We’d buy some on visits to take back. Also California Olive Ranch since I couldn’t find it here at the time. Bought several bottles at the Nugget. Really like that grocery store.
5 Likes
Nugget is our favorite as well!
2 Likes
I’m another Costco EVOO fan. I saute with Costco’s (Kirkland’s) other non-EVOO olive oil, but for anything that I want to really taste some olive goodness, I go with their Toscano when I can find it. I usually stock up on 2-3 bottles if I can.
I’ve tried the California olive ranch brand and like that as well.
I’ve also tried Iliada’s Kalamata olive oil from a specialty store near me, and it was deliciously fruity - very green. If you like tomato, basil and mozzarella with olive oil, this is a lovely accompaniment. Great for dipping breads as well.
2 Likes
