Val di Magra, 21 June 2024 – Go deeper In the oil mill And mill by the Ambrosini brothers is like immersing yourself in the paradise of extra virgin olive oil. There are many products on display, starting from the various pasta shapes and flours, up to the various declinations of the raw material par excellence: the olives of our territory. We are welcomed by Luigi Ambrosini, the president of the Confartigianato Frantoiani association and promoter of Verde Oliva, the first event dedicated to the promotion of extra virgin olive oil from the Ligurian Levant which will take place in Sarzana tomorrow and Sunday.
An oil mill full of history and passion for their own work the one purchased by Luigi – Luigi Ambrosini’s great-grandfather – who has maintained a family business from generation to generation. Starting from the mill, and then moving on to the crusher, up to the malaxer, Ambrosini explains to us in detail the cold extraction process – i.e. up to a maximum of 27° – of the oil which in their company manages to transform up to 25 quintals per hour of olives in extra virgin olive oil of the highest quality. The last fundamental step, the one operated by the horizontal centrifuge, is able to recognize the three specific weights of the oil: oil, water and pomace. “The pomace which for us is waste but for other realities represents raw material – explains Ambrosini –: it is that part of the olive that has not yet been transformed into oil and to do so it is necessary to treat it with solvents. There are industries that deal with this process, but clearly we cannot talk about organic extra virgin olive oil”.
Italy years ago it was the largest oil producer in Europe then Spain overtook us. In our country there are around 600 varieties of olives, in Spain 718, while in Greece only 3. The soil in which the olive trees grow changes the product itself which in different territories can take on different organoleptic properties and aromas. However, in our territory, types of olives have certainly been created that can be considered an incredible genetic heritage. Frantoio, Leccino, Moraiolo, Razzola, Lantesca, Prenpesa: these are the main olive varieties widespread in the province of La Spezia. “It is difficult to find the Razzola varieties outside the Val di Magra – specified Luigi Ambrosini –. In Massa, however, you can find the Minutaia while the Taggiasca is the most widespread type in western Liguria, that is, from Genoa up to Imperia” . From one quintal of olives it is possible to produce from 15 to 18 kilos of extra virgin olive oil. A figure that can vary depending on the yield of the raw material which is influenced by various factors including the vintage. “The olive fly, the cecidomia, has been having a decisive influence on the production of oil in our territory for some years – continued the president of the Frantoiani association –. It is clear that the lower the yield the higher the cost of the ready product will be , but in addition to this problem there is another variable that mills have to deal with. The increase in the cost of electricity in our case has led to a 120% increase in the cost of production compared to the past year.” .
Just enter in any supermarket to realize how much the price of oil “so-called extra virgin” has risen compared to a few years ago. And on this aspect, which certainly weighs heavily on consumers’ pockets, Luigi Ambrosini has clear ideas. “One certified fact above all can help us understand why a bottle of oil that costs less than 10 euros cannot currently be considered of good quality. 100 kilos of oil of non-European origin costs 980 euros. Clearly this is for an order much higher than 100 kg, we are talking about tons”.
There choice on quality which product to purchase is therefore up to the consumer and it is precisely for this reason that Verde Oliva was organised, an event which, in addition to tastings of local excellences, aims to involve and raise awareness among citizens by offering masterclasses and conferences held by experts in the sector. “This is the first year and we are happy to have involved personalities such as chef Mauro Ricciardi who will also talk about the importance of using high quality extra virgin olive oil for preparations – he concluded – but next year we would like to involve more producers will also be at the mills to further broaden the scope of the initiative”.
Elena Sacchelli
