Extra
virgin olive oil is a natural product and characteristics varies with the type
of olive, place where they grow, maturity of the olive, time of harvesting and
several other factors.
Our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is Cold-Pressed,
Unfiltered and
Unblended.
Messina Olive
Tree is a small company
founded in Houston, Texas in 2005.In
2001, the owner of the company took his fiancée (now
wife) to
Sicily to meet his family and to show her the land where
he was born and raised.
His parents are farmers and they produce olives as one
of their crops.
She was fascinated by
the multitude of olive trees growing on the picturesque
and hilly landscape in and around the town of Ficarra in
the Messina Province. She experienced
wonderful, flavorful extra virgin olive oils and
expressed the idea that she would love to bring these
oils back to her home in the USA.
During their following
trips to visit his parents, they toured many farms and
mills in the area to find the best ones to incorporate
into their importing business. Finally in 2005, they
decided that the time was right and finalized the plans
to start their business. In July 2006, the first batch of oil arrived into the
United States.
Our Brand Name
Sikaurum combines Sikania, the ancient Phoenician/Greek name for Sicily, and aurum, the Latin
word used for gold. Together, it
loosely translates to “Gold of Sicily”. We think our
product fits that description and we hope you'll come to
value it also.
From the many varieties of olives trees that bless the
hills and valleys of Messina Providence in Sicily, we
have selected three olive oils to present to you at this
time. Each is locally grown, harvested, milled and
bottled and each oil embodies its own unique flavor:
Sikaurum
Topaz
»»
Medium
fruity with a strong flavor of of veggie like artichoke
and chicory, fragrant, spice;
made from Cerasuola olives.
This oil comes from the
Safina Maria farm located near Paceco in Trapani
province on the west side of Sicily. The farmer uses
modern technique of production and an integrated
fighting against diseases and pests. The oil
produced is usually of superior quality with very low
free acidity below 0.25%..
This oil is of strong flavor
and dark color. It contains about 9%
of linoleic acid, and
about 0.7% linolenic acid. The oleic acid
(monounsaturated fatty acid, good fats) content is about
74%.
Sikaurum
Ruby
»»
A intensely fruity oil with a spicy
flavor from the Coratina variety of olive.
This oil comes from the Le Timpe
farm of the Ricciardo Brothers which is situated on the hills of
Ficarra. This variety of olive tree is mainly cultivated in southern
Italy but few can be found in Sicily and most are
cultivated in the Province of Messina and Catania.
This oil is intensely
fruity with a spiciness that is very appreciated by
olive oil aficionados. Its organoleptic qualities and
its nourishing and dietetic features make it suitable
for raw use and for many kinds of cooking especially on
grills and roasts. It is the preferred oil in preparing typical
specialties of the Mediterranean diet.
It has a linoleic acid content of
about 7%, and the linolenic acid
content is about 0.7% but it is the
very high content of polyphenols (antioxidants) that make this
oil one of the most wanted. The oleic acid
(monounsaturated fatty acid, good fats) content is very
high at 79% making this olive oil
a healthier choice.
Each of these oils can be used in multiple ways so we do hope you will
try them then let us know what you think. We value
your opinions.
Sikaurum
Pearl
»» A medium fruity
oil with a delicate flavor from the Minuta
variety of olive.
This oil is coming
primarily from the farm Le Timpe
by Ricciardo Brothers, situated on the hills of Ficarra.
The Ricciardo Brothers own the mill so the olives are
processed immediately after harvesting.
Sicilians are proud of the oil
produced from this variety.
The Minuta olive, also known as Saracena, grows
only in the north of Sicily on the high hills of an area
called Valdemone. The Minuta is considered one of the most ancient
cultivated olives. The plant is well adapted to the rough
environment. The olives are the smallest produced and toughest to
pick. The oil yield is low, around 15% of volume. So we need
almost 7 pounds of olives to fill a 500 ml bottle.
This oil is light in flavor and has a taste
that is appreciated by many Sicilians. The linoleic acid (an omega 6 fatty acid) content
is high at about 13%; the linolenic acid (an omega 3
fatty acid) content is almost 1%; and the oleic acid
(monounsaturated fatty acid, good fats) content is about
67%.
It is uncommon for farmers to plant new trees
of this cultivar because of the low yield and slow
growth. So this variety is in decline.
Sikaurum
Emerald
»»
A medium fruity oil with a strong
flavor from the Santagatese variety of olive.
This oil comes from the Veronica
Cupane farm located near the Sant Agata area. The Santagatese is cultivated in the
lowlands of the western Nebrodi mountain
range in the Palermo, Messina and Caltanissetta
Provinces. Its name comes from the town of Sant Agata
(Saint Agatha) where it is the main cultivar of olive.
This olive tree is vigorous and tall. The fruit is
medium-large and black at maturity but matures late. The
oil yield is high with up to 25% of volume. The oil
produced is of high quality with a good balance of
nutritional components and aroma.
This oil is strong in flavor especially
when harvested early in the season. It contains about
10.5%
of linoleic acid, and
about 0.6% linolenic acid. The oleic acid
(monounsaturated fatty acid, good fats) content is about
73%.
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