«For me, making oil is an act of pure selfishness: I am pleased with the beauty that this product has in itself when it is well made. The more I make beautiful oils, the more pleased I am, the more I want to make more beautiful ones; it is a challenge that is renewed day after day and year after year. It is a healthy selfishness, which I feed on by sharing and the beauty of the oil.” The one of Nicolangelo Marsicani it is one of those companies that, in addition to developing excellent oils for its own brand, contribute to the growth and valorisation of smaller productions, bringing out the potential of entire territories. A project carried out with perseverance and determination which this year was rewarded, for third timewith the recognition of Oil mill of the year during the presentation of the Gambero Rosso’s Oli d’Italia 2024 guide in Verona on the occasion of Vinitaly – Sol Agrifood.
A network of producers and an oil mill as a reference
An expert oil mill operator therefore, but also a person capable of networking between olive growers close to him and producers from other neighboring regions. His oil mill, in the heart of the Cilento it is a coming and going of experts, tasters, budding farmers, technicians and enthusiasts. «To be able to make many oils I need many olives and from here comes the relationship with other producers who themselves aspire to obtain beauty in the oils produced from their own olives. People of great cultural and human depth, coming from various parts of Italy, who allow me to broaden my knowledge, to experiment, to do research and experience on multiple cultivars”, he confessed to us.
The relationship and collaboration with some trusted experts, or as he defines them, fits into this context of research, experimentation and comparison “stray oil millers”: «With me there are also professionals such as Michele Siniscalchi Montereale, Sabrina Pupillo and Marco Rizzo, excellent tasters and expert oil mill technicians who, by attending a high school as real as it is virtual such as the oil mill and the shared tastings, have managed to overcome the interpretation of the olives and their processing by those who have more years of experience”.
The history of the Marsicani oil mill
In 1928 the Marsican family’s oil mill was registered at the Salerno Chamber of Commerce. A family passion, that for the transformation of agri-food products, initially focused on the milling of wheat, cereals and olives, today entirely focused on green gold. A natural evolution for the company, which over the years passed into the hands of Nicolangelo Marsicani, the current owner, who in 2007 decided to modernize the business and increasingly focus on the high quality of the product. And to do so through constant study carried out together with the Oleum association which still today aims to enhance the culture of quality extra virgin olive oil with training courses and tastings.
L’Alter Ego, an extra virgin olive oil from Tre Foglie
In the tasting session that covered Campania, the oil from the Marsicani mill that obtained the highest score wasAlter Egoa monovarietal from Itrana that surprised us with its intensity and elegance. An aromatic texture where nuances stand out that recall tomato leaves and aromatic herbs that intertwine well with the bitterness of the rocket and with balsamic traits that recall conifers. An explosive and highly persistent oil that finds its ideal pairing with tomato-based dishes, chickpea salads and on Margherita pizza.
