Spring Time in Italy
It has been a long time since I’ve posted but there have been some traumatic times in the world, especially in Italy so I have been distracted. Their world has been shaken much more than the rest of ours. The results of all those earthquakes through the middle of the country has been so costly in not just lives and resources but so much more. The 23 billion euro that the earthquakes are estimated to have cost in loss of lives, buildings and homes and businesses does not include the losses of personal history and the restoration of some of the history of these areas. It makes me so sad to even think of all the years ahead of recovery. After the first series of quakes last summer some of the surrounding areas told me that every village in the area had cancellations for the entire year for reservations. The loss of upcoming business will close many agroturismi that had no earthquake damages.
I have been plugging along with Expressly Italian trying to bring as much awareness as possible to all the wonderful products that Italians enjoy that we have such limited exposure to. Especially olive oil, which we find are so often deceitfully labeled and poorly handled here. It is why I started to bring oils that I know (because I get them directly from the frantoio, where I can watch them being processed and know them to be fresh). It is only fair to warn you that olive oils are going to be soon be taking a large jump upward in price. Erratic weather in Spain, Italy and Greece, where the bulk of the world’s olive oil is produced, has had decimated crops. Experts say global production is set to fall about 8 percent due to horrible weather throughout Europe with global weather changes.
These shortages come as demand for the product has skyrocketed around the world. China has recently become enamored with olive oil, consuming nearly $200 million worth of olive each year. The country’s nouveau riche see the product as a healthier alternative to other fatty oils. I have read a few articles saying they have begun planting olive trees in climates that are appropriate for their growth, (like the vineyards they are also planting) but it will be years before they will be able to harvest for oil. They import nearly 99 percent of what they use right now.
The Guardian article I read last week stated that since October, the cost of extra-virgin olive oil has jumped 30 percent in Italy, to $6.15 a kg. In Spain, the cost is up about 10 percent, near a seven-year high, according to the International Olive Council in Madrid. In Greece, it’s 17 percent. And forecasters say the worst is yet to come. So far, the only area where the costs have not risen much is California and after the effects of the rains of the last couple of weeks that price stability remains to be seen.
I return to Italy in May and I will know more then about prices. I will be bringing back spices from Campo dei Fiori from Mauro Berardi; honey from Sardinia as well as handmade scarves from La Monticiana in Rome and Florence, Olive oil from Sabina and Tuscany and as always, acting as personal shopper for any items special ordered by clients. If there is anything you want, please get in touch with me. My email: expresslyitalian@aol.com
Expressly Italian 