Along the coast between Palinuro and Pisciotta the olive trees grow almost down to the sea, with huge, twisted trunks. The first time we drove that road we kept stopping to photograph them one after another. From these trees, and from those inland, comes Cilento DOP extra virgin olive oil.
The production area
Cilento oil has been a Protected Designation of Origin since 1997. The area of production, processing and bottling includes many municipalities in the province of Salerno that lie within the Cilento National Park. It is a varied landscape, from the coastal hills to the inland slopes.
The varieties
The product specification requires at least 85% of the oil to come from six varieties: Pisciottana, Rotondella, Ogliarola, Frantoio, Salella and Leccino. Pisciottana, named after Pisciotta, is considered the oldest variety in the Cilento: the monumental trees you see along the coast very often belong to it.
Harvest and quality
The olives are picked from the tree by 31 December, with a possible extension, and must be milled by the second day after harvesting. The standards are strict: maximum acidity of 0.7 grams per 100 grams and a minimum content of polyphenols.
What it is like on the plate
The colour ranges from green to straw yellow. The fruitiness is medium to light, with medium or mild bitterness and pungency: a balanced oil that does not overpower other flavours. We use it raw on pulses, vegetables and fish, and it is the ideal oil for Cilento figs and bread.
A little history
Archaeological studies confirm the presence of olive groves in this area as early as the 6th century BC. Tradition credits the introduction of the first olive trees, Pisciottana among them, to the Phocaeans, the Greeks who founded the city of Elea, today's Velia. Olive oil is also one of the pillars of the Mediterranean diet, which was studied right here in the Cilento.
Where to taste it and what is nearby
After Pisciotta we recommend Palinuro and the Natural Arch and The Archaeological Park of Velia, in Ascea. To discover the link between olive oil and health, read Pioppi and the Mediterranean diet. Local flavours include Fico Bianco del Cilento DOP and Cacioricotta caprino del Cilento, and for another oil from the Salerno area there is Colline Salernitane DOP extra virgin olive oil. All the designations are in Campania's DOP and IGP products, and the area in The Cilento: what to do and what to see and Salerno and its surroundings.
Sources: Qualigeo – Cilento DOP.
Photo at top (Pisciotta): Heinz-Josef Lücking, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.
