| Description |
Made from organic Mission Olives in groves planted by Berkeley professors in 1913, this award winning olive oil captured the palettes of reviewers at Los Angeles International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Festival this year and received the 2012 Best in Show Award!
Volume: 250ml (8.5 fl. Oz.)
Harvested: Winter 2012
Why it’s on the Slow Food Ark of Taste
The California Mission Olive is a variety introduced to California in the 1700’s. It was nearly lost to years of co-mingling with other varieties until several untouched groves were discovered on the grounds of Catholic missions in California.
Olives themselves are not native to the US and it was thought that this strain originated from a Spanish olive variety, yet tests done at the University of Spain did not find a clear link to any of the 700 varieties of Spanish olives. Like so many great American traditions, we grabbed onto the Mission Olive, saw it evolved to its new environment, and now we call it our own!
The California Mission RESERVE from Berkeley Olive Grove has wonderful flavor and health benefits stemming from its low free acidity of 0.08% and high polyphenol levels of 372mg/kg. It has a smooth, buttery, fruity flavor with a slight white pepper kick at the finish.
Health
Benefits
There’s no doubt that olive oil is a heart healthy alternative to butter, and this oil is the perfect candidate. Even better, because you will be getting our California Mission Olive oil from a small, American, family-run farm, the time in which this oil goes from olive branch to your table far outpaces any average grocery store variety from across the sea. Based on our (slightly obsessive) research on olive oil health benefits, many specialists agree that to reap the full value of olive oil, freshness is key. We love olive oil for its ability to aid liver function, deliver monosaturated fats that help lower cholesterol, and its high levels of phytonutrients (in this case a polyphenol count of 372mg/kg – where 300 is usually considered quite high!), making it full of antioxidant properties.
Uses
In the past Mission Olives were mostly grown as a canning olive due to their softer texture and mild taste, but the fruit of Berkeley Olive Grove is elegant and aromatic as can be.
- Drizzle it over grilled vegetables with salt, pepper and grated Parmesan to bring out their sweet and smoky flavors
- Sprinkle salt and rosemary on top of some oil in a small dish to dip your favorite crusty bread
- Use it to dress some fresh summer tomatoes along with a little balsamic, sea salt, and cracked pepper
- After broiling a white-fleshed fish, finish the dish with a drizzle of Mission olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Information Sources
See full Slow Food Ark of Taste California Mission Olive Article
Berkeley Olive Grove
Health Benefits |
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