![]() ![]() Long after publication these objects of choice will still be journeying through our lives. 203).īy the end of the book the reader has little choice but to answer “yes” and “yes” characteristic of other “history of the world in one object” books, Extra Virginity offers no neat wrap-up. Mueller ponders this dilemma in his epilogue, asking, “Are we witnessing a renaissance in olive oil, or the death of an industry? Will extra-virgin olive oil become the next premium food phenomenon-the next microbrewery beer, Starbucks coffee, or quality chocolate-or will it sink into the anonymous mass of fat that is the legacy of our post-industrial food supply?” (p. Mueller reveals that little we find on our grocery shelves is the real thing-a point made through the tasting of the extra-virgin oils offered by the farmers Mueller visits. Manufacturers increase their profits by cutting their products with lower-quality or cheaper nut oils, particularly as worldwide demand for extra-virgin olive oil skyrockets. Little surprise then that men have long sought to control and profit from it, often through illegitimate means. ![]() ![]() Olive oil has always been big business in fact, it was to the Bronze Age what fossil fuels are to the Petroleum Age. Making their appearance are Spartan athletes and Renaissance-era scientists, modern Palestinian farmers, and members of the Italian Mafia. To tell the complete story Mueller’s narrative travels back and forth in time, with characters like Pasquali populating the past and present of olive cultivation. ‘Grease the palm,’ ‘Oil the works’-oil has become a synonym for corruption” (p. Oil belongs to the most sacred things, which are paradoxically the first things that we vilify. As Mueller is told by artisan oil producer Paolo Pasquali, “Too much love kills, even more than hatred. As we soon learn, the past and the present of olive oil is rife with scandal, and while this book spends much time celebrating what has for millennia made the olive such a versatile and essential plant, it also devotes equal time to documenting attempts to market fraudulent, adulterated oils to the world. Mueller’s journey takes him to orchards, chemistry labs, and-surprisingly-courthouses. Their palates reveal right off the bat the complexity of the object at hand. But Mueller instead introduces the topic by inviting his readers to a tasting panel where a diverse mix of participants sniff and quaff a sampling of oils, stopping to comment on flavors revealed (kiwi, artichoke, fresh grass) and flaws detected (any vinegary, cucumber, or fusty tastes). This physical closeness to his subject is important because Mueller’s curiosity and earnest appreciation of olive oil and its production gives this book its heart.Īnd the heart of Italy, where generations of family farmers have tended to their bountiful crop, is where one would expect a history of olive oil to begin. The American expat is currently a resident of olive grove–shaded Liguria, Italy. (In fact, the article that inspired Extra Virginity first appeared in the New Yorker in 2007.) To write this book Mueller wears a number of additional hats, including that of historian and neighbor. ![]() #Purity test fullYou can find the full test here and share your scores on your preferred social media platform.Mueller is a journalist whose work appears regularly in the New York Times Magazine, Atlantic Monthly, National Geographic, and the New Yorker. This was created by two best friends (both women), who wanted to develop a more contemporary version. Others have updated the game with a new version called the “innocence test”, which includes modern references such as Tinder. While some of the questions are consequently a little out of date, Gen Z TikTok users have nonetheless responded to the test with enthusiasm. The test was developed during the 1980s at Rice University in Houston, Texas, but has seen a resurgence on social media in recent weeks. As such, a low score isn’t necessarily something to aspire towards. I will regret this□ #StJudeDadPhotos #ricepuritytest ♬ Drip Like ME - KenndogĪ score of 100 indicates that a person has not had much sexual or romantic experience, while a score of zero would include experiences such as “bestiality” and “being convicted of a crime”. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |