Provencal Olive Oil "La Siavo"

There are three different oils produced by the Benedictine monks in Le Barroux. They have given them Provencal names that reflect the varieties in the flavour of these oils. This differentiation is achieved by the selection of olive varieties, but also by the degree of ripening of the fruit and the extent of the fermentation, which may have preceded the oil’s production. With the extent of the fermentation, a taste element weighs in which is a result of deliberate and controlled work. The oils are classified as "extra virgin olive oil" or "virgin olive oil".

Oil, wine and bread are primaeval foodstuffs and have a rich symbolic meaning in Christianity. It is, therefore, no coincidence that the Benedictine monks from the Provencal Abbey of St. Madeleine, in Le Barroux, have devoted themselves to the production of all three, and they are the only monastery in France to operate an oil mill. Between the Dentelles de Montmirail to the north-west and Mont Ventoux to the east, lies an area rich in olive trees alternating with vineyards. The cultivation of olive trees not only creates a sustainable and increasingly productive form of agriculture for generations, but it also has a very practical significance for the monastery, as it provides a good field of activity for the monks to use their skills. They have deliberately chosen not to mechanise the harvesting of the sensitive fruits. This improves the quality of the oil. As long as the tree plantings are still ongoing, olives must also be purchased from the surrounding area. The length of time for which the olives are stored, between harvesting in November and December and processing, depends on the desired flavour, which can be obtained through differing degrees of maturity or even a controlled fermentation later, within the oil.
The mill, with its technical facilities, is at the cutting edge of the oil industry. This plant is grounded, so to speak, by its centrepiece, a large Tuscan stone mill, made of granite, the twinned arrangement of whose two upper stones speaks of its centuries-old construction. Before the oil can be pressed out of the olives, the fruits have to be crushed under the stones. This olive paste should never be heated, which could happen, as the stones would turn too fast. For this reason, the grinding process is a leisurely affair and takes about 30 minutes per batch. The quality of the oil obtained in this traditional way can now be further improved by modern technologies, namely by centrifuging the oil, which mainly separates water impurities from the fruit. The oil is then filtered as required.
Since oil production is a seasonal business, the monks store the oil in large quantities under oxygen free conditions and fill the bottles only according to the sales situation.

Virgin Olive Oil.
Ingredients:
Olives 2nd grade, obtained directly from olives exclusively by mechanical means.

France

Nutritional value	je 100 g
Calorific value	3768 kJ
	900 kcal
Fat	99,8 g
hereof saturated fatty acids	15,1 g
Carbohydrates	0 g
hereof sugar	0 g
Protein	0 g
Salt	0 g

Artisanat Monastique de Provence
Abbaye Sainte-Madeleine
Le Barroux
84330
France