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Thursday, May 23, 2013

5 Things you need to know about French Olive Oil

Are you interested in a healthy lifestyle and have made the switch to good healthy olive oil?

 If you live in France or going to be here this summer here’s what you need to know about French olive oil:

 1.       Don’t look for French olive oil only in supermarkets; you’ll find mostly Italian and Spanish olive oil in shops. The French do not produce a lot of olive oil in comparison with Italy or Spain.
 If however, you find yourself in Provence this summer, buy a few bottles from a local producer or an olive oil cooperative. You’ll also get a chance to watch the olive oil process and to taste good extra virgin olive oil – pure delight.

 2. ‘Huile d’Olive de France’ on the label is the ‘made in France’ guarantee that the olives were grown in France and that the oil was produced here.

3. If you want to sound knowledgeable when you meet an olive oil producer, ask him which of the Provencal oils you’re going to sample.
There are 3 Provencal flavours – Fruité mûr (obtained when the olives are ripe) fruité vert (when the olives are green) and Fruité noir (when the olives are matured)

4. Olive farming takes place in the South of France where the climate is ideal for the olive trees. Corsica is included in the thirteen departments for olive production. Olive oil from Corsica is generally milder as the olives are picked when they are ripe.

5. Check out the olive oil festivals in the different regions of the south this summer. This is where you get to sample all the different types of olives, meet olive oil producers and taste wonderful olive dishes such as tapenade.

 The French are beginning to recognize the goodness of extra virgin; 90,000 tons of olive oil is consumed in France every year. Although you won’t find French extra virgin on the middle shelf of the supermarkets as yet, olive oil experts recognize French olive oil to to be one of the best in the world.

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Corsica gives us Sweet Mild Olive Oil

The sundrenched island of Corsica attracts millions of pleasure seekers every year, they come for the numerous beaches dotted around the island, the breathtaking beauty of the rugged landscape but did you know Corsica olive oil  producers make healthy mild sweet olive oil?

 They’ve been making olive oil here for centuries, but since 2004, when Corsican olive oil was granted AOC status, morale was boosted and so began a passion amongst 178 olive oil producers to create good quality oil. They worked hard at improving their farming practices, such as pruning, refined their production methods and it worked.

 Today Corsican olive oil has a taste and flavour truly unique to Corsica.

 Imagine, some of the trees on the island are more than 2,000 years old and still producing olives. These are the older orchards where at harvest time, the fruit is allowed to drop naturally into nets spread on the ground. But there are also younger trees with younger oil producers who use  either an electric comb allowing the fruit to fall into nets suspended in the trees or hand pick the fruit.

 Even though most olives are picked when the fruit is black and ripe, Corsica boasts a broad range of
 olive oil flavours. This is because the olive growing regions and the types of olives are so different; each cultivar or variety has its own flavour and aroma characteristics.

Training of olive oil tasters

In olive oil culture, taste and smell are important factors – vital to recognize good quality olive oil and to pick up any defects of the oil. Technicians and producers in Corsica learn how to recognize  positive and negatives attributes of their oil through training sessions organized on the island every year.

As one official Corsican olive oil taster said: "Learning to identify tastes is important. With my training I can now participate in any national and international olive oil tasting competition."

 In Corsica the olive tree is a way of life, the people of Corsica proud of their terroir, their very own Corsican olive oil.

 
Ripe Black Corsican olives ready for picking

Thursday, May 9, 2013

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Post cards however, reflect cultures and lifestyles – a great source for historians. For this reason Le Musée de la Carte Postale which shows only authentic documents needs to be up and running.

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

France celebrates Spring with the Lily of the Valley


Today is the first of May, the day when we give and receive little bouquets of muguets -- Lily of the valley- to our loved ones. With this we wish them luck, a tradition which goes all the way back to the time of the Renaissance.

 Charles1X was said to have been so touched on receiving a spring of this delicate flower as a good luck charm that he decided to give one to each of the ladies of the court. Thus started the tradition of La fête du Muguets.

  Small and white with clusters of little bells, these lilies, also known as thrush have a most provocative and unique smell. And most important they herald the coming of spring.

 The thrush plant grows almost everywhere in France except in the Mediterranean regions.

 Good business

 This cute tradition is also a business affair. According to statistics the French spent 25.5 million euros last year buying the flowers from the florists, the supermarkets markets and street vendors; selling muguets in the street is accepted on May 1.

The quality of the plant was excellent this year and those selling worked hard at presentation, combining the flowers with roses all  set in  beautiful baskets and pottery.

Single strands can also be sold but must be wrapped in cellophane or wax paper.

 Interesting facts
Amongst the flowers she chose for her wedding bouquet, Kate Middleton added some lily of the valley.

The lily of the valley is also known as our lady’s tears; legend has it that the tears Mary shed at the cross turned into lilies of the valley.
The flowers are used in the perfume business; diorissimo, introduced in 1956 is perhaps one of the best and most successful examples.

I love this custom, even though it falls on Labour Day, a national holiday celebrating the cause of labour, I prefer to see this charming custom more as a time of merriment, a promise of perfect months to come.

 Happy May 1 to all.