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Old and New Olive Molitura (Olive Milling)
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By Wendy Holloway.
Cantalupo di Bevagna - Cantalupo di Bevagna in Umbria is home to one of the few frantoi, olive mills, that houses both a traditional mill system (notice the stone mill stones in photo 1 and the mechanical hemp mat press in photo 2) and a modern all-in-one centrifuge mill (3rd photo). Owner Simonetta will tell you that both cold-press systems produce equally delicious olive oil (final photo!), but that the modern part of the operation is infinitely more efficient.
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So why not eliminate the antique part of the production altogether? In part because it has historic and sentimental value, but mainly because the dozens of farmers who for decades have been bringing their olives there just don't want to have anything to do with the new fangled technique. They don't trust it. And quite honestly, good thing as it's fascinating to see the old and the new working in parallel in this unique frantoio.
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--contributed by Wendy Holloway (see bio), owner of the Flavor of Italy Country Inn, north Rome, and Flavor of Italy, LLC, a food & wine tour company.
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