A necessary culinary extra

I do not profess to be a connoisseur of everything that comes out of a bottle, especially when it is olive oil.

But I do know that some, like wine, are very much more to my taste than others, and when I find one I with a flavour which lingers lovingly on the palate, then it will rate stars in my book.

This one, an extra virgin oil from Bari in southern Italy bears the famous Castel del Monte label, originating from one of the most distinctive olive growing areas of the region. It appeals to my taste as a good all rounder, full bodied for use on leaf salads or tomato, and equally harmonising to vegetables, producing a satisfying flavour. I have used it for grilling steak, and somehow it seems to enhance the taste of the meat, although somehow it seems a sacrilege to use it for cooking.

But then the Terra Bari region of Puglia is well known for its extra virgin olive oil, and its origins goes back in history, as the main source of wealth for the gentry in the middle ages.

Today, the label on my bottle is numbered so if you were inclined you could probably trace it back to the original olive grove where the olives were grown.

Expensive? In fact one of the least expensive and bought from a discount supermarket It’s my favourite and I shall continue to seek it out.