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Region of origin: SARDINIA
Flavor category: MEDIUM FRUITY
Smell: Cardoon and fresh cut grass aroma
Flavor: Very mellow olive and cardoon with slightly bitter and herbal-spicy
Uses: Excellent with fish and bottarga; ideal for adding that special je ne sais quoi to roast pork and lamb; with pecorino cheese
The oliveti -- olive groves -- that produce award-winning Cardum
extra virgin olive oil are in the hills of the island of Sardinia, 120
miles west of the Italian mainland. Cardum tastes of its namesake
cardoon, a member of the artichoke family.
Shepherds live in the hills; sheep graze in the oliveti. Their
milk becomes piquant pecorino-romano cheese -- pecorino means "from
sheep." Cardum pairs well with it. Sardinian mountain cuisine is
spit-roasted pork and lamb, so Cardum pairs well with that, too. And
since Sardinia is an island, Cardum and fish and seafood are a natural
combination. In fact, sardines are named after the island.
Of the approximately three dozen olives indigenous to Sardinia,
Bosana Nera di Gonnos and Tonda di Cagliari have been specially selected
for Cardum. The
meanings of Bosana and Gonnos are obscure, but the Nera tells us that
they are black. "Tonda" means "round," as in "rotonda." Cagliari is the
name of the
3,000-year-old seaport town at the southernmost tip of Sardinia.
Every year, from October to December, the olives are harvested
by hand and immediately sent through a traditional cold stone press.
This produces an oil
with a deep smell of fruit and cardoon. The finish is slightly biting
with a hint of agreeable bitterness, a whiff of fresh oregano.
Cardum's elusively haunting taste will delight your guests -- and leave
them wondering just what your secret is.
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Olio & Olive Cardum Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
