My favorite brand is Bertolli
I am a huge fan of olive oil. Although I am not Italian, I use olive oil in my cooking every chance I get. I have tried nearly every brand of olive oil, or at least the major brands available in the supermarket. After having tried so many brands of olive oil, my favorite brand that I use nearly exclusively is Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
I prefer extremely rich flavor in my olive oils, and this is the reason that I mainly prefer Bertolli. Regardless of the specific use, I find that the intense olive oil flavor in the Bertolli brand of olive oil to be perfect for nearly any recipe.
Comparison of oil brands
Americans have been purchasing more olive oil. Most buy what their favorite television chef uses and do not prefer one brand to another. It takes a while for new users to become accustomed to the flavor of olive oil, as well as the differences among various brands.
This article will compare two popular imported Italian olive oils – Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The review is my opinion only, and it does not mean that another’s palette may agree.
Origin
Olives are grown mainly in the Mediterranean region, although they can be found in areas like California and South America. The most famous countries for olives, however, are Italy, Spain, and Greece. Italian olives are recognized around the world for their quality. The olives are harvested, crushed, and pressed to extract the oil.
The fruits, as well as other factors, can greatly vary the taste and quality of olive oil. Both Bertolli and Filippo Berio grow their own fruits as well as purchase them from other areas, such as Spain and Greece. Although the oils are processed in Italy, neither is a 100% Italian product.
- Filippo Berio cultivates its olives at La Traversagna, a family estate located in the Tuscan region of Italy. The grove is the largest in Italy with 45,000 trees. The company’s history is as rich as its oil and dates back over 150 years around the city of Lucca.
- The history of Bertolli also began in Lucca. Today, the production of oil occurs in a factory near Milan. The facility boasts to be the biggest in the world. Bertolli became the world’s first olive oil exporter after Italian immigrants in America requested his products.
Appearance
Both oils give off a beautiful green hue. Bertolli is pale green oil, while Filippo Berio is golden green. Each is clear and pure. The bottles are similar and are made of clear plastic with a screw top.
Taste and Smell
- The oil by Bertolli has a scent of fresh olives. The taste is bitter and pungent, and the texture is heavy. After swallowing, the back of the throat feels coated but the oil leaves no aftertaste. It mixes well with other ingredients.
- Filippo Berio has an aroma typical of green olives. The flavor was subtle and it did not overwhelm your tongue. Once swallowed, the back of the throat gets a tinge of pepper, which is quite normal for olive oil. It is thick, but it incorporates well into dishes.
Cost
In most markets, the cost for each item is relatively close. Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil costs slightly more than Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Since both are blends of fruits from other regions, prices fluctuate accordingly. You can expect to pay around $10.00 for 750 ml. of extra virgin olive oil. Again, that figure may be more or less depending on the area in which you live.
How do I use Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
- Italian-style bread
One of my favorite uses for olive oil is to make dipping oil for Italian-style bread. In this dipping oil, I usually include a bowl of extra virgin olive oil, fresh minced garlic, fresh rosemary, and any other herbs and spices I feel like experimenting with at the time.
I like my dipping oil warm, so I usually heat up the Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil a bit so the flavors of the garlic and the rosemary infuse into the olive oil. For a dipping oil such as this, the stronger the olive oil flavor the better so the olive oil taste can stand up to the pungency of the garlic. I have found that Bertolli is the best oil of those generally available for use in this recipe.
- cheese sandwiches
Believe it or not, I also use olive oil to make grilled cheese sandwiches. The olive oil adds a nice Mediterranean flavor to the traditional grilled cheese sandwich, and the olive oil is healthier for use in frying due to the presence of monounsaturated fats, as opposed to the saturated fats found in other lipids like butter.
One must be a little careful, though, due to the low smoking point of Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive oil as compared with other types of cooking oil. The flavor is so much better, though, so it is a reasonable trade-off.
