Salento olive trees and olive oil you should discover
There are many olive oil mills all over our countryside. In dialect we call them “trappiti”, where you can see the processing procedure, which takes place from the end of September through the whole of Autumn, in person, and buy directly from the producer.
The first things that catch the attention of visitors in Salento are olive trees. They stand as silent, perpetual guardians of our land, as far as the eye can see. They can be hundreds of years old and even more with their silvery leaves and gnarled trunks reminiscent of old wise men and ancient fairy tales.
From early chilhood we grow to love and respect these magnificent evergreens: we climb up them, we play hide and seek around them in summer, nets are placed under them at harvest time, small branches are cut off on Palm Sunday to offer in sign of peace and prosperity. They are decorated with coloured lights for Christmas and when its pruning time, its wood is excellent for the fireplace or to make artisanal products from it. Olive trees are like younger siblings in Salento, and nothing from it goes to waste.
Our grandfathers would tell stories and legends about them: olive trees that spoke, that saved lives, that were magic. One of these stories tells why they are so gnarled. According to the myth, the Roman soldiers that were appointed to build Jesus’ cross went into the woods to gather wood, but the olive trees, that were still straight then, began to contort themselves and moan so they wouldn’t be chosen.
These trees are a matter of pride for agriculture in Salento, because thanks to the thousand year old experience in the oil industry, we produce one of the most renowned oils in the world. Extra virgin olive oil from Salento is of the highest quality and, in many cases, it is still produced with semi-traditional methods: stone olive presses in mills that have existed for centuries, where the pressing benefits from the coolness of the limestone walls painted with calcimine.
The olive oil mills in Salento only use local olives in order to guarantee the full flavour of our land at the table. Salento oil has been awarded the DOP Terra d’Otranto brand, for the use of the “Cellina di Nardò” and the “Ogliarola Leccese” olives because of its choise to respect the land and quality. The strong and “legumato” aftertaste of the Terra d’Otranto oil makes it ideal for first courses, cooked vegetables and more traditional dishes such as the “frisa”.
Salento olives, both green and black, are also prepared mainly in brine, to be eaten. There is not one restaurant or “trattoria” that doesn’t give you and entréè cup of olives and a plate of “frise” with oil and tomatoes. Here, at the Palazzo del Corso Hotel, the Ristorante DolceVita team will welcome you to taste the Salento extra vergin olive oil and take you on a fantastic journey through childhood memories, legends and traditions.
