It’s not easy to say something new about olive oil. Everyone knows it, everyone uses it – or at least thinks they do. But true extra virgin olive oil is a whole different world. Its taste, aroma, colour, texture… once you’ve tasted the real thing, there’s no going back to the plastic-bottle supermarket version.

My first encounter with it was during a cooking class, when the chef casually drizzled a line of freshly pressed olive oil over the top of a dish. Nothing fancy – just a simple bruschetta with tomato and garlic. And yet I remember that bite as if it were yesterday. The oil sparkled on my tongue – herbaceous, slightly peppery, and fruity – completely different from anything I had tasted before.

Later, I took part in a Tuscan olive harvest, and eventually several harvests in our own olive grove at the Tuscan Olive Garden. Setting off at dawn in the mist, bending under slippery olive trees – exhausting, yet utterly exhilarating. The freshly picked olives went straight to the mill, and I watched as the green paste slowly gave way to liquid gold. The sight alone was magical, but what we tasted afterwards with bread – that was pure bliss. Disarmingly fresh, aromatic, and yet gentle. Only then did I truly understand what it means when people say Tuscan olive oil is not just an ingredient – it’s a way of life.

Now I use it much more mindfully. I love our own oil. The stronger, more peppery ones go with meat and roasted vegetables; the gentler ones with salads and fish. And I always keep one small bottle just for dipping bread – for special occasions, or simply when we remember how good life can be.

And when someone asks me, “Can you really tell the difference between olive oils?” my answer is simple: Yes – and I wouldn’t want anything else.

And now, back to the kitchen! Spaghetti with Tuscan Olive Garden extra virgin olive oil, garlic, chili, and slow-roasted cherry tomatoes.

This is the simplest dish you can imagine – just Tuscan extra virgin olive oil, garlic, chili, and a packet of spaghetti – yet when made with care, it reaches absolute perfection: the pasta soaks up the flavour of the oil and garlic, while the chili tickles and awakens the taste buds without overpowering the rest.
(Recipe coming soon.)