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Olive oil has earned its status over the centuries as one of the most healthful and versatile ingredients in the culinary arts. Not only does it provide a unique flavor that seems to complement nearly all foods, but it serves also as an excellent carrier oil for nutrients and essential oils.    Not all olive oils are created equal, however, and the quality of the source of the olives themselves plays a huge part in the overall quality of the oil produced. This is especially true when it comes to the polyphenols that olives are known to possess and how...

We all know that olive oil is great for us. There are endless articles with exhaustive lists on the different things you can do with olive oil, but few discuss why it is so highly regarded from world chefs and nutritionists to skin care experts. Once demonized in Western culture, fat is now storming the world as the hottest health accessory. Quality is the beginning of the story. The olive oil in your cupboard may not be quite what you think it is. Many manufacturers cut their products with chemicals and inferior oils. It’s important to do your research and...

You may have seen or heard about Fair Trade products, but many of us don’t know quite what that means. Purchasing products that tout fair trade practices and ingredients sounds like a smart, socially conscious investment, but who really benefits from Fair Trade? The short answer is everyone, but there entire picture is a bit more involved. Fair Trade products are made with the ultimate goal of social consciousness and respect in mind. Certain commitments to ethical standards of environmental, socio- economical, and human rights practices must be met in order to be considered Fair Trade. These commitments include, but...

The beauty of handcrafted wares is that we get to be a part of the story. This story begins in a country at the heart of the Mediterranean, Tunisia. All of the olive wood used to create our elegant kitchenware is sustainably harvested from Tunisian olive trees. This naturally hard, dense wood is valued for its opulent grain pattern, but has been used to create wares stretching back to ancient time. Olive trees are sometimes referred to as Immortal Trees the Tree of Eternity because they have the ability to regenerate. At the end of an olive trees producing life,...

Tom Mueller’s book, Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, chronicles how resellers have added lower-priced, lower-grade oils and artificial coloring to extra-virgin olive oil, before passing the new adulterated substance along the supply chain. (One olive oil producer told Mueller that 50 percent of the olive oil sold in the United States is, in some ways, adulterated.) The term “extra-virgin olive oil” means the olive oil has been made from crushed olives and is not refined in any way by chemical solvents or high heat. “The legal definition simply says it has to pass certain chemical...