What is first cold press? + Giving away oil 🍝
Olive Oil 101 Is Back!
First up is an ever-burning question for consumers:
What Does First Cold Pressed Olive Oil Mean?
In short, it’s an antiquated way of saying ‘extra virgin olive oil’. But, as usual, there’s more to it than that and the usage of the term has become problematic…. *we take a deep breath*
Olives are no longer pressed, they’re milled.
Extra virgin olive oil is literally required to come from the first milling in order to be called ‘extra virgin’.
So why are we celebrating brands and producers doing the bare minimum and being impressed by this term? SET. BETTER. STANDARDS.
Today we dissect the term, its ancient origin, and why it should frankly just be retired.
Patate della Sila
You may have seen us hanging out in Sila recently. We went mushroom foraging, to one of our favorite restaurants, and drove through a storm to visit our beloved potato farmers. We caught them just as they were leaving and were able to buy 22lbs (!!!) of gorgeous potatoes. Lina was happy as a clam.
What's so special about potatoes from Sila? Well, they're the unicorns of the potato world but not talked about. Usually, about half the size of the palm of your hand, buttery yellow on the inside, and when you fry them up it's like eating a hug. They're just perfect.
What are we going to do with so many potatoes? Well, there are 4 of us and it's peperoni (bell pepper) season in Calabria. We have the small, round green peppers so it appears patate e peperoni ft. The Lina will be on the menu regularly. (But was it ever not?)
The EXAU Pasta-Off Giveaway
The Pasta-Off is well underway! If you haven’t joined in on the fun yet there’s still time. The prize, dates, and details are below. Happy cooking (and eating)!
Prize: 2 bottles of Lina.
Dates: Pasta-off started on Wednesday, September 22, and ends on Wednesday, September 29.
How To Participate:
Step 1: Make some pasta.
Step 2: Post it on Instagram and tag @EXAUoliveoil and use #EXAUpastacompetition
Rules:
It doesn’t *have* to be a pasta recipe from EXAUoliveoil.com, but that’s a good place to start or find inspo : ) Baked pastas such as lasagna can compete!
You can use all forms of pasta such as regular boxed pasta, fresh pasta, or GF pasta. What’s not pasta: zoodles, etc. (love you, but that’s not technically pasta).
Judging: The judge is Salvatore, Giuseppe’s dad. With 70+ years of pasta eating under his belt, one could say he’s an avid pasta eater. He'll be scrolling through the photos to select the winner. He’s very excited to be the judge!
Terms & Conditions: 18+. US Only. Giveaway winner announced via DM. Ends 11:59 pm PT 9/29.
Time to get cooking as there are only a few days left to enter! Be sure you’re following us on IG, tag your friends, and turn on notifications.
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook for more!
A presto,
-Skyler & Giuseppe
www.EXAUoliveoil.com