The ancient traditional practice of dipping bread into olive oil, called meze, originated in early Greece mythology. It probably served as the original apertif, or entrée, and when times were tough, even the meal itself. Its qualities as a genuine appetiser are legendary.
Only in recent times have New Zealand restaurants started offering bread and oil dip as a standard pre-dinner hors d'oeuvre, and like the wine list of 30-years ago, a choice of oil and bread is finally beginning to be an option.
The first successful New Zealand olive grove was established in Marlborough in 1992. A commercial olive grove is a major undertaking, requiring a minimum of 16 acres, 2000 trees, and up to ten years to produce. The odd olive tree or three in the backyard, apart from aesthetic purposes, doesn't mean a thing.
Annual crops vary, producing between three tonnes and 300 kgs of oil. Birds are a very big problem often forcing growers to harvest the less ripened green olives. Only Extra Virgin oil can be used for dipping, which can be kept after opening for only a few days. It's all additional cost. Even so, New Zealand grown olive oil, with its very special microclimate, can be ranked with world standards, and much of it is exported.
Fran Kennedy, owner of the Kapiti Olive Shop in the famed Lindale Centre in Paraparaumu admitted that most people are not yet aware of how strong and different olive flavours can be. Each species, she says, has its own flavour, and this in turn is governed by soil, climate, and moisture from year to year.
"The rules," Fran says, "are simple, but strict. Olive oil should be neither cooled (emulsified) nor heated. Even sealed, oil should not be kept for more than a year. The best way to sample olive oil is sloppy, but effective. Put a few drops in the palm of the hand, let it warm up, and lick it off the hand.
"When dipping bread with friends, it's best to break off a piece, dip, eat, and dip the same piece again. During public tastings, only small individual bite-sized wafers are provided."
On the subject of bread, Fran is equally precise. "We prefer to have an organic bread matched to an organic oil," she says. "There are several dozen organic oils available. Unfortunately, the number of really good organic breads is very limited."
Fran says diners should ask the restaurant where the oil and bread is from. "They probably won't know, but by asking, they'll start finding out to be up with the play. The taste to have certain breads matched with certain oils can be as discerning as is the taste requiring certain wines with certain meat.
"Being the only large commercial olive oil shop in New Zealand, we are often called upon to provide tastings. The bread needs to be fresh, soft, and strong, and most importantly have a taste of its own. Our general preference is for the Purebread Family Loaf. It has the necessary honeycomb texture and old-time flavours. It's totally organic, like the Purebread Potato Loaf, which is our second choice."
Both Purebread and Fran's own organic Kapiti Gold olive oil are certified NZ BioGro.
Purebread bakeries in Paraparaumu deliver seven varieties of organic bread including sourdough, and both gluten-free and wheat-free bread to stores throughout New Zealand, fresh, three days a week.
The Kapiti Olive Shop has a wide variety of organic and non-organic olive oil, and will ship anywhere in the world.
Source: Don Polly
