The Olive Oil Trails of Calabria
2 minutes
What are the unmistakable characteristics of Calabrian olive oil? Its fragrance is an expression of ancient flavours and aromas, rooted in times gone by, like the centuries-old olive trees that dot the region. Its colour, a true ‘liquid gold’, sets it apart, along with its gently fruity flavour, evoking the sun that caresses the region from dawn to dusk.
These characteristics were already known and mentioned by Pliny the Elder in his Naturalis Historia, and are linked to the arrival in Calabria of monks from the East, who gave a significant boost to local olive oil production, enabling it to develop the hallmarks of a high-quality olive-growing industry.
Discovering Calabrian olive oil
Today, Olio di Calabria PGI is a certified designation governed by strict production specifications, to which the region’s leading farms, oil mills and long-established producers adhere. These producers form an integral part of the Olio Calabria PGI Consortium, which guarantees quality and traceability. This food is a concentrate of excellent nutritional and organoleptic properties, perfect both as an ingredient in traditional Calabrian and Italian recipes and, when used raw, as an irresistible dressing for homemade bread, bruschetta and salads. In addition to the regional PGI, Calabrian olive oil boasts a range of branded variants that represent more specific areas. These include Lametia PDO, Alto Crotonese PDO and Bruzio PDO.
Olive Oil Trails and Olive Oil Towns in Calabria
The Olive Oil Routes in Calabria pass through no fewer than 17 ‘Olive Oil Towns’, a series of municipalities dedicated to the production of Calabrian Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Olive Oil Routes and Olive Oil Towns in Cosenza
Starting from the province of Cosenza, our Olive Oil Trail takes us to the main producers of Olio di Calabria IGP and Olio Bruzio DOP. The towns designated as ‘Città dell’Olio’ (Olive Oil Towns) are:
- Saracena, also famous for its fine Moscato di Saracena wine (Presidio Slow Food)
- San Basile, where Bruzio PDO Extra Virgin Olive Oil pairs beautifully with local dishes, from soups to meat-based main courses and aromatic herbs from the Pollino National Park
- San Marco Argentano
- Tarsia
- Terranova di Sibari
- Santa Sofia d’Epiro
- San Demetrio Corone, paired with dishes from ancient Albanian and Eastern Greek cuisine
- Corigliano-Rossano, where Calabrian oil is produced from a native olive variety: Dolce di Rossano
Olive Oil Routes and the City of Olive Oil: Crotone
Continuing along the Olive Oil Routes on the Ionian coast, we reach the province of Crotone to discover the delicious Olio Alto Crotonese PDO. Here, the Protected Designation of Origin status is awarded to extra-virgin olive oil produced from the Carolea variety. A visit to the City of Pythagoras, also famous for Pecorino Crotonese PDO, and its surroundings, including the Città dell'Olio (City of Oil) in Cotronei, provides the perfect opportunity to sample some of the typical dishes of this area, such as Sardella Crotonese.
Catanzaro Olive Oil Routes and Cities
In the gently rolling hills between the Two Seas, the Ionian and the Tyrrhenian, the Oil Routes in Calabria lead us to the outskirts of Catanzaro, the regional capital and the capital of its province. The following Città dell’Olio (Olive Oil Towns) are well worth a visit, including a tasting session:
- Lamezia Terme, for a dinner enhanced by Lametia PDO olive oil
- Vallefiorita
- Palermiti
- Maida
- Olive Oil Trails and Towns – Reggio Calabria
- Other Cities of Olive Oil include:
- Reggio Calabria, also the home of Bergamotto di Reggio Calabria PDO
- Ciminà, famous for the Caciocavallo di Ciminà, a Slow Food Presidium
- Cinquefrondi
- Gerace
- Antonimina
