Some of our friends are always on the lookout for the best wine. We on the other hand are always on the lookout for the highest quality olive oil and vinegar. Right now, we are in love with Kosterina Original EVOO & Fig Balsamic Vinegar!
This Greek extra virgin olive oil is farmed, harvested, and bottled to maximize antioxidant-rich polyphenol content. Each bottle has 430 mg of polyphenols (vs 55mg of others)! They guarantee that their olive oil is always from this year’s harvest and you can taste the freshness!
Kosterina uses early harvest greek olives made from 100% Koroneiki olives grown in the Peloponnese region of Greece. Their farmers use organic farming practices and harvest their olives when they are still green and unripe. This allows them to preserve the polyphenol content. Polyphenols have been shown to reduce inflammation, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, improve the health of arteries, slow the aging process, reduce the risk of chronic disease and even aid in fighting some cancers. It takes 12 pounds of unripe, green olive to make just one bottle of their Kosterina.
The fig balsamic vinegar also impressed us. It is made from Lambrusco and Trebbiano grapers of Modena, Italy. It is thicker than other vinegar and similar to the ones we have seen demonstrated by Italian chefs.
I usually use both on our salads and entrees. If you are familiar with my cooking channel, CoolVeganCafe, you know that I do not like to heat oil and avoid cooking with it when possible. When I do use oil, I want it to be the highest quality. I am sure you will love Kosterina as much as we do! I recommend a subscription because it reduces the single bottle price significantly. It also makes a wonderful gift. The EVOO is $28.95 per bottle. The subscription is 3 bottles for $79.00. The duo gift pack is $43.90. For more information, please visit the Kosterina website.
