I get contacted by about 15-20 people a day via social media who I have never come across before. Unfamiliar names giving advice, sending criticism (a lot), occasional words of thanks, and lots of random observations. It makes every day interesting and varied. But last night's communication had something which got my attention, for my first time contacter had something in common with me that was unique in the world.
He was a foreigner marrying into my wife's family! First a Brit, now an American, I am sure they older generation are beginning to wonder where they went wrong with their daughters.
Tom lives in Vienna with his Hvar fiancee, dividing time in the Austrian capital and our favourite Dalmatian island, and I joked that once he got married, that would be it - olive picking every year in the family fields - there would be no escape.
It is funny you should say that, he replied... because talking of olives...
Meet a rather cool project that he and his future wife's family are involved in - and I can certainly vouch for Barba Jure's olive oil - the boy is a legend in the family.
But now I am concerned for my own standing in the family. The last thing I need is an over-achieving American son-in-law competition who actually enjoys the olive picking... Only joking. Welcome, Sir - I hope you know what you are getting yourself into...
Antioxidant Olive Oil Direct to you from the Croatian Coast!
Our goal: bring fresh, early-harvest, vitamin-packed olive oil from the sunniest island in the Mediterranean directly to your salad.
Help us share our oil!
Why Spicy?
Our oil is NATURALLY spicy for two reasons:
Firstly, we use only special regional Dalmation Oblica olives, characterized by experts as having a natural "spicy flavor of black pepper, mint, thyme, and sage".
Secondly, we believe in an early harvest of olives. Early harvest oil typically yields 4 to 6 times the number of polyphenols (antioxidants) as conventionally harvested oil. These polyphenols lead to a lingering tingling, spicy, and bitter sensation in your throat that you can actually taste. This is the mark of exceptionally healthy olive oil.
Why Antioxidants?
Polyphenols are indicated as both an antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory. They fight against oxidative stress and pre-mature aging and have been indicated against aging-related diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and certain types of cancer. Depending on the oil, it is thought that roughly two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil a day is enough to provide these anti-inflammatory benefits.
MAXIMIZATION OF ANTIOXIDANTS: OUR #1 GOAL!
What is that tingling, even coughing feeling going down your throat? The taste that accompanies high-quality, early harvest, extra virgin olive.
Actually, it’s not strange to feel a very pleasant and lingering tingling in your throat after tasting an extra virgin olive oil. It’s quite common and the spicy bitter flavor that lingers in your throat is actually the mark of high-quality, healthy oil (those are the polyphenols talking).
Why Direct?
We believe that with all the non-sense going on in the olive oil industry these days, the only way to truly guarantee a quality product is to ship it directly from source. What's more, our entire production process up until shipping is controlled by our family in-house (even the pressing, which is very uncommon for small batch production).
Why Hvar?
Hvar, located off of the southern Croatian coast, is the sunniest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Its agreeable year-round climate make it an ideal location for growing olives and it's easy to see why the first Greek settlers 2,500 years ago stayed. Its agreeable climate is also one of the reasons that Hvar is Croatia's third most visited tourist destination. Additionally, Hvar is the only island in the world to be covered by four different UNSECO cultural heritage designations, including one for Hvar's mediterranean diet.
Our family: The Milicic family, originally from the town of Brusje in Hvar, has, like many, been making oil for generations. However, Barba Jura ("Uncle Jura" as he's known locally), the family patriarch, does things a little differently. Ten years ago and tired of sub-standard olive oil, he bought his own olive press and began testing. He scientifically tested oil quality with regard to harvest time, olive preparation, and pressing methods. His conclusion, which has been backed up by a plethora of independent research, is that early-harvest, cold-pressed olive oil yields a vastly superior product despite the process's primary disadvantage: less oil per kilo of olives.
We strongly feel that less oil per kilo is a small price to pay for a 4 to 6 times the level of antioxidants and a vastly superior taste. We look forward to sharing our family secret with you and hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
OTHER FEATURES:
1. 100% certified organic -- our oil is HR-EKO-02 certified
2. 100% family made (from the branch to the bottle)
3. 100% family pressed
4. 100% first, cold press
5. 100% unfiltered
6. 100% hand-bottled
For more information, and to support the project, click here.
