Olive Oil: Where to Start
Want to cut through the confusion in choosing an olive oil? Articles to come will delve into further detail, but here are a few major points on the different types:
- Extra virgin olive oil is the most flavorful and there's a wide range of flavors to choose from, depending on the type of olives used, country of origin, and production methods; this type of oil is the most versatile, from cooking to simply using as a table oil for bread or salads.
- Olive oil, sometimes called "classic" or "pure", is a milder flavor suitable for cooking.
- Light-tasting olive oil does not have fewer calories, just less flavor (purposefully). This lack of flavor doesn't alter the taste of a prepared dish, but still contributes the nutrients present in the oil.
Those are the three basic options you'll be confronted with in any grocery store aisle. When in doubt, go with a real extra virgin olive oil and you'll be satisfied with the results, however you use it.
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+About
One afternoon not that long ago, A.J. Weiss was sitting in a cafe, tapping his pen on an empty note pad, and staring out the window. The prior accumulated years of adventure, heartbreak, and common drudgery had all amounted to this, a particular moment, for reasons both unknown and fairly straightforward. The most straightforward being that he worked at Blue Planet Foods, Ltd., importer of high-quality food products and ingredients, and that he had set forth to complete the task of conjuring a suitable name for the company's new Spanish specialty food brand. After a certain amount of consideration and voluminous list-making, Donostia Foods came to be.
What was the inspiration for this (superb) brand name? Donostia-San Sebastián, a small coastal city in Basque Country in northern Spain, renowned for its restaurants, gastronomic societies, and culinary traditions. A place where locals and visitors alike wander the cobblestones of the old town in the warm evening light, drifting amongst the pintxo bars to sample unparalleled small-bites accompanied by the effervescent local wine, txakoli, and sharing in the laughter that becomes the fondest of memories; a place that exudes good food, good drinks, and a general sense of revelry. All of which is quite enjoyable.
With Donostia Foods we hope to introduce more people in the United States to the gastronomic pleasures of Donostia-San Sebastián and Spain as a whole, with a continually expanding product line of the best examples of the best products we can find and with the conviviality of the place itself.
Thank you for your interest in Donostia Foods, and if there's anything we can do for you, please contact us.
A.J. Weiss in the village of Espelette in Basque Country.
