MISCELLANEOUS

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

"The olive tree holds first place between the trees".

Olive oil has an ancient history. 6000 years ago the farmers on the coasts of Palestine and Syria discovered that a variety of olives, when pressed, released a thick, oily liquid, of a pleasant taste, ideal for skin protection, and a substance that burnt easily.

We have the Greeks to thank for the expansion of olive groves throughout the Mediterranean. However, it was under the Romans that the olive reached its peak. Over the course of the centuries, olive cultivation began to diminish; during the Middle Ages animal fats were more commonly used due to their longer conservation and agriculture revolved round cereals. Olive oil was destined for the tables of the rich and the Church. In fact during this period, the primary use of olive oil was for ecclesiastical purposes, rather than food preparation.

Today olive groves are present wherever the climate allows its growth, from the West to the East.
With regards to olive groves in Tuscany, these can be dated back to the C8th BC. During the Middle Ages there was an increase in their cultivation amongst smallholders and sharecroppers. The first areas were around Siena and Florence and by the mid-C16th it became a form of intensive farming in the area around Lucca. The mild climate, south facing hills and mountain ranges to protect from adverse weather conditions, make the Lucchesi hills an ideal land for the cultivation of olive groves.

There was a marked increase in Tuscan olive cultivation in the C19th and C20th. In 1985 a vast number of trees were destroyed during one of the coldest winters on record. Tuscany had to resort to the south of Italy, where they taught the Tuscan method: how to plant, prune and harvest the olives. This method gave the southern olive oil a lower acidity level. From that date Italian olive growing has followed the Tuscan model, demonstrated by the fact that 33 of the 395 olive varieties are from Tuscany.  In 1997 an association was set up to control and guarantee the quality of Tuscan olive oil not only in the Italian market but the overseas one as well.

Riso Gallo

All about rice

The rice plant is a Graminacea growing in water, with one or two hundred grains per panicle. Like all cereals, it contains mainly starch - a highly nutritious substance which is easily absorbed by the organism -, proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibre. However, rice is – among the most common cereals - the only one without gluten and is therefore ideal for people suffering from gluten intolerance (namely Celiacs).  Indica, Japonica and Javanica are among the three best known sub-species of Oryza Sativa (scientific name for rice), and are currently grown throughout the world.

Rice: healthy eating

“He who serves rice, gives life”.  Clearly Buddha was well aware of the nutritional properties of rice, in the same way as the Ancient Greeks.  Hippocrates, in particular, suggested that athletes taking part in the Olympic Games ate before, during and after physical activity (a highly scientific concept, ahead of its time in consideration of the nutritional knowledge then available) a kind of soup from husked cereals, called ptsanè, enriched with a combination of water and honey.   Today, nutritional science recognizes that rice plays a key role in healthy diets. Indeed, rice is rich in those carbohydrates that are known to correct the bad food habits of the modern society. In-depth studies have demonstrated that rice is, nutritionally, the best source of carbohydrates due to the comparatively short time it takes to digest (requiring 1 to 2 hours gastric activity, in the same way as fish, compared with 2 to 3 hours for cheese and 3 to 4 hours for pasta), due to the quantity of starch it contains (over 70%) and above all because it is a highly-prized type of starch, which is easily assimilated and (like all complex sugars) gives long-lasting and immediately available energy.  

High biological value 

However, rice does not only contain starch. Modern dietary science has proved the biological importance of the key proteins or essential amino acids contained in rice grains. Of all cereals it is in fact the richest, with 4.1g per 100g of raw product (wheat flour only contains 3g.).  This explains why, although having a lower protein content (l.8% as compared to 12%) rice is considered to have a higher biological-nutritional value than pasta. Another nutritional plus for rice derives from its vitamins and mineral salts.  Parboiled rice especially - a type of rice that retains its firmness in cooking - is obtained through a natural process that consists in exposing rice to steam and rapid drying. This process prevents overcooking and, above all, allows the penetration inside the grain, via osmosis, of those vitamins, mineral salts, proteins and fibre which accumulate in the external part of the grain and which are otherwise removed during traditional processing.   Parboiled rice contains a good quantity of vegetable fibre and is an excellent source of B vitamins (2 to 3 times higher than traditional white rice) - important for regulating the metabolism- as well as Nicotinic Acid (6 times more than white rice), vitamin E, which fights free radicals, and inositol, which increases cellular activity. In addition, good quantities of important minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon and zinc are found in rice grains. It is not by chance that doctors and dieticians recommend rice to athletes before and after competitions.

For kind concession of: RISO GALLO S.p.A. - Robbio (PV)

Texts and photos are published with express Authorization of  Riso Gallo S.p.A. given to Punto Italiano Co., Ltd.                 Reproduction, also partial, of texts, marks and photos is prohibited and constitutes a violation.

ROBO Products

	TRITHOTEL TOMATO PULP Tomato pulp obtained from ripe tomatoes gathered in the midst of summer. By using only healthy and fully ripe tomatoes, the product is processed with advanced techniques that allow to separate the pulp from the skin, the seeds and the fibrous elements. The flavour and the creamy tecture of the procuct make it an ideal base for pizzas, sauces and condiments in general
	HEARTS OF ARTICHOCKES   The most tender artichocke hearts are processed by eliminating hard leaves and bottoms and are preserved in vegetable oil. Ideal as hors d’oeuvre and side dish they are excellent as pizza topping
	ARTICHOKES ROMAN STYLE   Obtained from fresh artichockes, with a little stem as required by the recipe. Skilfully cooked with parsley, garlic and olive oil, they are excellent as hors d’oeuvre or as a hot side dish, in salads, as pizza topping or as garnishing of savoury dishes.
	THINY SLICED CHAMPIGNONS   Is is a product consisting of fresh meadow mushrooms, prime quality and medium size, thinly sliced and cooked with oil, garlic and parsley. Dark in colour and very fragrant, they are ideal for preparing first and main courses, as side dish and for garnishing pizzas and bruschetta bread.
	THINY SLICED BOLETUS MUSHROOMS   It is a product consisting of prime quality medium size Boletus mushrooms, cut into thin slices. The taste is full and they are ideal with first and second courses, as pizza topping and for garnishing bruschetta bread and sandwiches.
	DRIED TOMATOES   The most beautiful and healthiest tomatoes, harvested when ripe, are freed of seeds, cut and desiccated. Flavoured with aromatic herbs and preserved in sunflower oil, they are ideal as hors d’oeuvre, for garnishing cold courses and salads.

BLACK AND GREEN OLIVES WITH KERNEL OR PITTED
 
Olives from Spain, of the Hojiblanca variety. Exceptional quality with regard to texture, taste and bright color.

We offer 4 different types: Black, with or without kernel, Green with or without kernel, preserved in a light brine.

Very tasty, they are excellent for aperitif, as hors d’oeuvre, for savory pastries, on pizza and for many different recipes

Pine Seeds (Pine Nuts) – Pinoli

Pinoli or "pine nuts" are found inside huge pine cones.

They are highly prized and are used for making a PESTO SAUCE, a famous recipe from the Italian Region Liguria made with basil leaves, parmesan cheese, pecorino cheese, olive oil. Pesto Sauce is normally used with Italian Pasta.

They are also abundant in many Italian dessert recipes, and especially used on biscotti-cookies.
 

SAFFRON

The Saffron is a perennial plant bulbosa family Iridacee (Crucus sativus) and has a long, thin leaves. E’ coltivata per gli stimmi che, essiccati, forniscono una droga giallo-rossa (malva) con proprietà coloranti e aromatizzanti, usata in cucina e nel settore farmaceutico; i fiori sono violacei a 6 tepali. It's cultivated for stimmi that, dried, provide a drug-yellow-red (mauve) which is used for colouring and flavouring. Used in cooking and in the pharmaceutical sector, the flowers are violet with 6 tepali.

A product so gold colored with an ancient history, some speaks about its use within the ancient Egyptian civilization. Worldwide there are 11 different varieties.

One interesting feature is that this precious and noble plant blooms at night, in the dark, and harvesting begins manually early morning.

Today is considered the most expensive spice in the world: one kilo of saffron requires 150,000 flowers, two months of work.

The plan is exploiting stimmi (plus or minus 3) placed inside the pink and once opened are removed with fingers and put to dry after adding a drop of olive oil.

These are  his property: flavoring, dyes, aperitive, digestive, stimulants (nervous system), sedative. Lo zafferano contiene elevate quantità caroteni, flavoni, xantofille; ha un’attività ormonosimile ed è stato impiegato con successo in alcuni casi di insufficienza ovarica. The saffron contains large quantities of carotenes, flavones, xanthophylls.

Sansa Olive Oil

The crude pomace oil is obtained from the olive pomace that remains from the cold pressing of the olives.

Pomace olive oil is a refined oil, light, easily digestible, pure, appropriate for cooking, frying, or fresh salads.

Its quality is superior compared to kernel oils, since it maintains the properties and basic traits of olive oil. Due to its chemical composition, it is more tolerant to high temperatures, and therefore can be used for subsequent frying more times than any kernel oil.

Furthermore, its high levels of monoUnsaturates enhance digestion, making pomace oil a healthier choice compared to all refined kernel oils. 

Truffle Extra Virgin Oil

Colavita, Truffolio, 250 ml.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil flavoured with truffles makes this exceptionally indulgent.

Colavita Extra Virgin Olive Oil is born from the finest Italian olive trees that have been expertly worked for many generations.

The robust flavour of oil, its pale green and golden color, its delicate bouquet and aroma are the incomparable fruits of a unique balance between the bounty of nature and the patient care of those who work the olives.

Colavita Olive Oils derive from ancient groves located on Italian hillsides that have been worked for centuries. From "tree to bottle", three generations of Colavitas assure us they produce only the best of the fruit of the olive.

The results are quite obvious: a fundamental ingredient of the Mediterranean diet suitable for every type of cuisine.