The New York Times says Antonella Fagiolo’s Cru di Cures extra virgin olive oil is an “Italian Olive Oil Worth Drizzling“, in Florence Fabricant’s food news column “Front Burner”. While we’d argue it’s for more than just drizzling, we love to see lesser-known olive oils get their time in the sun. Cru di Cures is from Fara Sabina, a small comune in Lazio about 30 miles from Rome. Locals have made olive oil in the area for thousands of years. In fact “Sabina DOP” was one of the first European Union protected designations of origin awarded to an Italian extra virgin olive oil. It’s sublime, as Florence attests:
“An import by Gustiamo is Cru di Cures from Lazio, near Rome, a region not well known for its oils. The Fagiolo family that makes it uses traditional local olives like raja and carboncella to produce a greenish gold oil with a brambly fragrance and richness that leads to a hint of pepper.”
Grazie mille Florence for your spotlight on Cru di Cures! “Brambly” might just be our new favorite EVOO descriptor. Feel free to use Italian extra virgin olive oil for more than just drizzling. As Italians have since the beginning of time, we use it for everything from salad dressing to pasta sauce to deep-frying. Here’s some of our favorite recipes with Cru di Cures extra virgin olive oil:
Citrus Salad with Castelvetrano Olive Relish