A special occasion is approaching, and you don’t know what to gift your loved ones. For birthdays, wedding gifts, and Christmas, we spend hours searching for the perfect gift without realising there’s a product that appeals to all kinds of people, especially those who appreciate quality: extra virgin olive oil.
Why gift extra virgin olive oil?
Symbolism
Since ancient times, olive oil has enjoyed great symbolism. The Kings of Israel were anointed with oil to bestow authority, power, and glory from God. Oil was considered a symbol of God’s spirit.
In North African cultures, it symbolised fertility. Oil was poured on altars near crops to ensure good harvests from the gods.
It is also a symbol of eternity, an oil that doesn’t spoil and helps preserve other foods.
This symbolism has persisted throughout history, and gifting olive oil today carries an aura of exclusivity and an implicit message of how special the recipient is to the giver.
Gift of health
By gifting olive oil, you are gifting health. This “liquid gold” is one of our allies for maintaining robust health. Here are some benefits it provides:
- Vitamins: It is a source of vitamins A, D, E, and K, which aid in absorbing calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc, necessary for maintaining a healthy immune system, vision, bones, and soft tissues.
- Antioxidant and Anti-inflammatory properties: It helps delay the ageing of our skin and mind and reduces joint and muscle pain.
- Improves Circulation and Reduces Cholesterol: A varied diet rich in olive oil reduces the risk of heart attacks or strokes by up to 30%. It also lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol and increases “good” HDL cholesterol.
Price
Its price remains stable during peak seasons such as Christmas, Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day. While typical gifts may increase in price or sell out, you can always buy more olive oil products for the same price in the peak season.
It doesn’t expire
Extra virgin olive oil doesn’t expire, so the recipient doesn’t need to rush to consume it. Although it has a “best before” date, which indicates the period when it retains all its properties intact, consuming olive oil past this date will never be harmful to health.
Appeals to everyone
Olive oil is a culinary product that appeals to everyone, both to those from Mediterranean countries and those who don’t typically include it in their diet but are aware of its properties and benefits.
Thanks to social media and the “foodie” trend, healthy recipes and the Mediterranean diet are re-emerging. Many people are shifting away from pre cooked products and favour natural products and healthy fats like olive oil. Gifting extra virgin olive oil is sure to be appreciated by both adults and children.
When should you gift olive oil to that special person?
There’s always a good time to gift extra virgin olive oil to someone moving to another country, a cooking enthusiast, or someone moving into a new home.
For fans of unfiltered oil, Christmas is an excellent time to receive this product, as the olive harvesting season runs from October to December. Unfiltered extra virgin olive oil consists of natural olive juice bottled without filtration, giving it a cloudy appearance due to the water and particles in suspension.
If, on the other hand, the recipient prefers filtered oil or you want to gift oil at any time of the year, it’s best to do so from December to January when harvesting starts and also throughout the year. As we know, olive oil doesn’t expire.
What format to gift?
The gift format will depend on the recipient or their situation. Here are some examples:
- 5L Bottle: Ideal for situations where you want the recipient to have oil for a long time, such as moving to a new home, wedding gifts, or for a new couple starting their life together. To gift this type of bottle, you should be very sure of the recipient’s preferred oil.
- 1L Bottle: This is the perfect size for someone who enjoys consuming oil in small amounts, such as on toast, salads, or cold or hot soups.
- 250 ml Bottle: This is the perfect size if you’re looking to gift an oil tasting. It’s ideal to have a few varieties of extra virgin olive oils for a tasting. You can either conduct a semi-professional tasting, following all the steps or have a small sampling with family and friends to determine everyone’s favourite.
What variety of oil to give
The variety of virgin olive oil depends on its fruit, the olive. Monovarietal olive oils have been produced with a single type of olive. There are about 250 varieties of olive trees worldwide; each olive has a different morphology and flavour. The most widespread in Spain are:
Picual Monovarietal
For those who prefer strong olive oil flavours, the monovarietal Picual variety of extra virgin olive oil offers an intense flavour with characteristic spiciness in the mouth a few seconds after tasting it. It is perfect for toast, salads, frying, and adding raw food to cooked dishes.
Picudo Monovarietal
Olive oil of medium intensity, with notes of intense fruitiness, a sweet point, and a slight spiciness in the mouth, is ideal for toast, warm salads, gazpachos, and pastries.
Arbequina Monovarietal
Arbequina is for those who prefer mild flavours in olive oils and also for the little ones in the house who are new to olive oil. The Arbequina Monovarietal variety of extra virgin olive oil offers a peculiar taste of freshly cut grass. It seems milder a priori, but later, it has an intense and characteristic flavour and aroma that reminds you of the smell of the countryside. Arbequina EVOO is an ideal olive oil for toast, pastries, fish, sweets and desserts.
Koroneiki Monovarietal
The Koroneiki monovarietal variety of extra virgin olive oil has an intense flavour with fruity notes.
It has a spicy point that is perfect for enjoying raw and highlighting its flavour. Perfect on toast, salads, or raw in finished dishes.
We hope these reasons have helped you decide on olive oil as a gift for your loved one. If you have any questions, remember to visit our online store to learn about the characteristics of all our products.
And remember, any day is good to celebrate; there should be no reason to celebrate, and even less does an excellent extra virgin olive oil need it.