Another excellence of Umbria with no rivals.
As well as the excellent wine, the gastronomic tradition in Umbria has another protagonist: the high-quality Extra Virgin Umbrian olive oil, that has few rivals in Italy. Umbria was the first Italian region to receive the DOP designation in 1997 for the entire territory.
What most represents the Umbrian countryside is the expanse of olive trees that covers the hills, giving them a particular, charming silvery green color. It’s possible to identify 5 production zones:
- Colli di Assisi and Spoleto,
- Colli Martani,
- Colli Amerini,
- Colli del Trasimeno,
- Colli Orvietani.
Thanks to the environmental condition, the perfect characteristics of the soil for the ripening of olives, the advantageous weather and the exposure to the sun, the local olive oil can boast a pleasant aroma, an intense green color and a unmistakable taste, but above all a low degree of acidity, less than 1%.
How to discover Umbrian Oil
Even olive oil has its route in Umbria, an itinerary through the producing areas and the best oil mills of the territory which aspires to create an authentic oil culture that – together with local art, history and traditions – leads to the discovery of the exclusivity and goodness of this product.
The most important annual event dedicated to oil is Frantoi Aperti (Olive Mills Open Houses): it’s held all over Italy and in Umbria you can enjoy it for 6 weekends, starting from November, with tasting workshops, thematic menus dedicated to oil and guided sampling visits to discover the production methods and its tradition. You also have the possibility to buy oil.
The culture of Umbrian oil is also conserved and hand down in various museums of the region, such as the Museo della Civiltà dell’Olio e dell’Ulivo in Trevi, which remembers the history of oil farming and production through 6.000 years, or the Museo Lungarotti dell’Olio in Torgiano, with an exhibition itinerary dedicated to the different uses of oil in cosmetic, enlightenment, medicine, religion and heating.
Want to taste it?
Take a slice of Umbrian bread (with no salt) toasted on hot embers, rub it with a clove of garlic, sprinkle with salt and soak with olive oil: it’s called bruschetta and it’s the best way to enjoy the “green gold”!
