L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2018 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano PAULA REYNOLDS A s big as a Robin's egg, mildly tart with a hint of sweetness, and jus t-perfect chewy only begins to describe an Ascolana olive. Biting into one is a much finer manner of introduction to this enticing little fruit…and I was lucky enough to experience this (over and over again) w hen recently in Ascoli Piceno. Olives on the Italian peninsu- la are nothing new, of course. Cultivation of olive trees and production of oil was firmly in place as far back as the VIII cen- tury BC, thanks to the Greek col- onization of southern Italy. Olive oil was a prime economic com- modity for both the Greek and subsequent Roman Empire; thus, widespread cultivation of a vari- ety of olive producing trees took root, literally, acros s Italy. Revered as a symbol of life, health, and vitality, olive groves continue to blanket the Italian countryside today producing their treasured fruits in abun- dance now as then. No one is quite sure where the Ascolana varietal originated, but we do know it found an ele- vated position early on. From notations in ancient records, it's clear the Tenera Ascolana olive was a coveted delicacy. Consid- ered a rich man's food, various emperors and statesmen had olives imported from the Ascoli region of Marche to their elegant tables in Rome. Some might even say the taste is heavenly; a letter from Pope Sisto V (15 th century) extols the delights of the olives he received as a gift from the people of Ascoli. Even the great unifier Garibaldi suc- cumbed to its charms after his visit to Ascoli in 1849. He was so enamored with the plump green ovals that he had trees sent to his home in Caprera in order to cultivate his own crop! A mere 250 limestone rich acres in the Ascoli Piceno terri- tory of Le Marche sustain the groves of silver leafed Tenere Ascolane trees. For centuries, olive production here was ade- quate for keeping up w ith regional needs – even with only one of every hundred blossoms becoming a mature olive. How- ever, within the past 20 years, this delicious olive has steadily gained a fan base, which in turn has created increasing demand. In 2005, olives all'Ascolana were awarded DOP status as part of Europe's Protected Des- ignation of O rigin program. Thus, only olives grown in this small area can be labeled and sold as Ascolana olives. Interestingly so, the DOP sta- tus actually applies to two ver- s ions of the A s colan olive. Plucked semi-ripe from the tree, fresh olives are immediately placed in buckets of water to soak for at least ten days. Some producers say double or triple the time with multiple changes of water is the only way to coax out the olives' natural bitterness. Once the soaking process is complete, the olives will spend a portion of their life in a salty brine bath seasoned with fennel seeds. The olives rest in the brine for a week or more, only to be removed when they reach the semi-sweet, mild flavor they are famous for. I was offered a few straight from the brine bucket at a market in Ascoli by a ruddy faced farmer. H e proudly explained that he put his olives through three brinings, thus mak- ing them the best! How could I argue as I savored their rich, meaty flesh? The star, however, is the sec- ond version… a deep-fried won- d e r k n o w n a s O l i v e a l l ' A s - colana. Pitted by hand with a spiral cut, the empty olive is stuffed with a savory mixture of ground pork, beef, sometimes chicken or lamb, finely diced vegetables, parmigiano and nut- meg. Once the stuffing is care- fully placed in the hollow, gentle hands shape the olive back to its natural form. The stuffed olive is rolled in flour, bathed in an egg wash, then properly fitted in a coat of breadcrumbs to complete t h e p r o c e s s . A f e w q u i c k moments in the deep fry results i n a p e r f e c t c r u n c h y g o l d e n brown delicacy that offers up a unique and addicting flavor. The lines outside of any street vendor in the Ascoli region are evidence enough of the populari- ty of this elevated street food. A steady hand off of rolled brown paper cones filled with piping hot olives continues as long as the cook provides them – the aroma is heavenly! And of course, almost every restaurant in the area features O l i v e s a l l ' A s c o l a n a a s a n antipasto on its own or as part of another regional delight – the Fritto Misto plate. Consisting of Olives all'Ascolana, along with battered and fried artichokes, zucchini, and another regional specialty of creamy cubes of fried custard known as crimini, a Fritto Misto is frequently first choice of diners here. W h i l e b r i n i n g o l i v e s i s a m e t h o d a s o l d a s t i m e , t h e stuffed version of the Ascolana olive didn't exist until around 1800. The legend goes that a cook for a wealthy family in Ascoli wanted to find a way to make use of the various meats his lord had been gifted with. The stuffed and fried olive was the result, and the combination q u i c k l y b e c a m e a l o c a l favorite. The popularity of these fried delights has spread. Many pizze- rias throughout Italy, especially in the central regions, feature Olive all'Ascolana on the menu. And if the thought of preparing a l a b o r - i n t e n s i v e b a t c h i s t o o m u c h , m a n y I t a l i a n g r o c e r y stores now carry frozen ready- to-fry versions! Most regions of Italy proudly showcase their food and wine celebrities, and Ascoli Piceno is no exception. Each August, the town hosts its Ascoliva Festival. Demonstrations, games, presen- tations, and fun come together to honor "l'oliva più grande del mondo" – the largest olive in the world – as well as protect the " i n e s t i m a b l e t r e a s u r e … f r o m counterfeits that distort its taste, quality, and history." There's even an official festival song to sway to as one munches on one after another hot stuffed olive. A nd as the s aying goes – "Una tira l'altra" – you can't eat just one! Ascoli Piceno, home to the delicious Ascolana olives © Enzodebe | Dreamstime.com We know the Ascolana olive was popular already in the 15th century: Pope Sixtus V was a huge fan © Michelae | Dreamstime.com Ascolana olives are protected by DOP also in their stuffed and fried form: deli- cious and luscious © Franco Nadalin | Dreamstime.com Le Marche, Ascoli and the magic of Olives all'Ascolana LIFESTYLE FASHION FOOD ARTS DESIGN

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