Down South, Up Top: Crudo Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Food writer and "oracle" of Mediterranean cuisine, Nancy Harmon Jenkins enlightens us with this fascinating article on extra virgin olive oils made in hot climates. Far too many southern-made oils, she laments, suffer from major defects (chief among them "fustiness") due to intense temperatures and gaps between harvest and pressing.

Lately, however, a growing number of smart, small-scale producers are changing this hot-climate flavor profile. How? By closing the processing gap and maintaining pristine environments. Heralded by Jenkins as one of the top southern oils, Crudo Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Puglia in Southern Italy fully demonstrates its terroir with clean, raw and assertive flavors.