It doesn't actually mean anything - it was created to evoke the blue skies of the Mediterranean (the 'belle azure' of summer skies) and to be a name that was pronounceable wherever you were in Europe. It is pronounced 'bell-a-zoo'!
2. Is there just one kind of olive variety?
There are as many as 400 different varieties of olive and they all have their own characteristics.
3. What is extra virgin olive oil?
Extra virgin olive oil is the very best quality oil there is. It's nothing more than the natural juice of the olive with the olive water removed. Its acidity level must not exceed 0.8g per 100g. It must also have fault free aroma and flavour.
This is the next grade of olive oil. It too is the natural juice of the olive with the olive water removed. Its free acidity level must not exceed 2g per 100g. It must also have fault free aroma and flavour. Very little of this category is sold in the shops.
This oil is obtained by blending refined olive oil and virgin olive oil. Its free acidity level must not exceed 1g per 100g. In some countries this is known as 'pure' olive oil. The European Union is looking at alternative descriptions for the oil such as 'standard' olive oil. There are no rules regarding the percentage of virgin olive oil that is added back and this can vary from very little to as much as 50%.
This oil is obtained by blending refined olive-pomace oil with virgin olive oil. Its free acidity level must not exceed 1g per 100g.
7. Should I keep olive oil for special occasions only?
The best olive oil is fresh olive oil so you should use up your oil as quickly as possible. Do not keep an expensive bottle of extra virgin olive oil for very special occasions. It is not like wine, it will deteriorate rather than mature!
8. What is the best way to store olive oil?
Regular users of olive oil probably keep it next to the hob. This is not ideal. Olive oil should be stored in a cool, dark cupboard. There is no need to use the refrigerator. Indeed, this will be too cold and the oil will start to solidify and thicken. It may even go lumpy.
9. Can you tell the quality of oil from its colour?
If the oil is packed in a clear bottle you will be able to see its colour and many people think this will help them determine the style of olive oil in the bottle. Oils with a deep green colour, so tradition goes, will be very green in character with an aggressive, peppery style. Golden oils will be sweet and delicate at best, flabby and boring at worst. This is not true! This kind of generalisation may give the right answer some of the time but it can also be wildly inaccurate. Golden oils may well be sweet and delicate or flabby and boring, but they often also offer a degree of bitterness or pack a very peppery punch. Green oils are not always very pungent. To avoid the danger of preconceived ideas, tasting panels checking extra virgin status and competition judging panels do all their tasting in blue or brown glasses so that they cannot see the colour of the oil.
10. Is extra virgin olive oil good for me?
You've probably heard about how good the Mediterranean diet is for health and as an essential component olive oil has much to recommend it. In fact, there's not much it isn't good for. It helps the digestive system, protecting the mucous membranes and stimulating the gall bladder. It promotes good bone structure and is good for the brain. It is also thought to be important in the fight against coronary heart disease. This is because it is made up predominantly of oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fatty acid. This type of fatty acid helps to lower LDL (low density lipid) cholesterol in the blood and keeps the arteries clear of blockage but does not affect beneficial HDL (high density lipid) cholesterol. In addition to fatty acids extra virgin olive oil contains 1.5-2% phytonutrients such as vitamins, phenols and volatile compounds. It is these substances which separate extra virgin olive oil from other vegetable oils and which add considerably to its healthy attributes.
As well as contributing to the prevention of heart disease olive oil is recommended for diabetics and for the elderly who may be at risk of a decline in the functional capacity of the brain. Extra virgin olive oil is also thought to be important in the fight against cancers of the breast, colon and skin because the vitamins and phenols act as anti-oxidants, mopping up free radicals that affect the way DNA operates.
(Taken from Judy Ridgway's 'Best olive oil buys round the world', see www.oliveoil.org.uk)
11. How long do olives keep for?
Olives in jars have been pasteurised so unopened they will keep for at least a year. Once opened you should keep them refrigerated and eat them within three weeks. Fresh olives bought from a stall or in the chiller cabinet of the supermarket should be enjoyed immediately and preferably consumed within a few days.
12. What is the difference between normal couscous and barley couscous
Couscous is normally made from a type of hard wheat but Belazu's delicious couscous is made from barley as is traditional in certain regions of Morocco. Barley gives the couscous a more grainy texture and natural, nutty flavour.
13. What makes Balsamic Vinegar different to other vinegars?
Unlike most vinegar, which is made of wine, balsamic is made using unfermented grape juice (known as must). While trebbiano is the most commonly used white grape variety, sgavetta, lambrusco and ancellotta are also permitted. The grapes are picked very ripe and cooked very slowly in copper cauldrons over an open flame until the water content is reduced by over 50%. The resulting 'saba' is then placed into wooden barrels and some older balsamic vinegar, known as the madre or mother, is added to assist in the acetification (where the alcohol is slowly fermented to produce acetic acid more commonly known as vinegar).
14. Why do Balsamic vinegars vary so much in price?
Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena is the name given to genuine balsamic, brewed by 30 or 40 specific families in the Modena area. Between them these families form what is known as the Consorzio, a special association that safeguards the quality of the vinegar. Between them, they only produce 8000 litres of balsamic a year. This vinegar is sold at an extremely high price and is the only vinegar that can be produced in small (no more than 250ml), specially designed bottles. It will have been aged for at least 30 years.
Since balsamic vinegar has gone from being an insider foodie ingredient to a kitchen cupboard staple aceto balsamico di Modena has been created to meet demand. Despite lacking the Tradizionale label, this balsamic is just as good but has simply been aged for less time.
The term 'tagine' covers a wide range of what essentially are casseroled meat, fish and fruit or vegetable dishes that in the West may then be served with couscous, as a plain accompaniment. The tagine is in fact the dish in which the stew is prepared. It is a shallow ceramic bowl, with a lid that rises to a conical point. The tagine is heated from below but the unique shape of the lid directs steam in a circulating motion that heats the encased stew from the top. Moroccans prefer not to fry meat or chicken before adding liquid to make a stew. Instead they add water, herbs and spices to the raw pieces of lamb or chicken with a little melted butter or oil. They then simmer the stew to make an aromatic stock, which reduces over time to concentrate the delicious flavours.
Argan oil has been at the heart of the traditional Berber culture for hundreds of years. It is the product of the argan tree (argania spinosa), which is indigenous to the south west of the country. Found mainly between Essaouira and Agadir, in the Sous valley, the oil is extracted from ivory, almond shaped kernels found within the nut of the tree's fleshy, green olive-like fruit. Traditionally, goats (who adore the fruit and eat it straight from the tree) harvested the fruit. The goats can't digest the nuts, which would then pass through them, and were gathered by hand, cracked open and the seeds processed into oil.
The argan tree plays a vital role in maintaining the ecological balance and the economic situation of the population. The argan forest consists of about 20 million trees and covers 800,000 hectares (1,976,000 acres). The tree grows wild in the arid desert soil and its roots grow deep (up to 30 metres) in search of water. This helps retain the soil, preventing erosion and limiting the advance of the desert. The wood can be used for building, the leaves and fruit as feed for animals (particularly goats and dromedaries). The broken shells of the nut are used as fuel and the dough from which the oil is extracted is also used as feed - so no part of the tree remains unused.
Argan forest used to cover most of Morocco but is now a threatened species. In the 1900s there were 120 trees per hectare, whereas today there are only 40. This deterioration must be reversed soon, as the argan trees take between 5-10 years to mature and the decline will soon become irreversible. In 1998, large areas of argan forest were listed as a Biosphere Reserve by the UNESCO-led Man and Biosphere (M.A.B.) programme.
Argan oil is also totally immersed in the culture of the region, considered as a precious commodity. The tree is a symbol of longevity. Traditionally, on the night before her wedding, a Berber bride would choose the most beautiful argan tree in the area. She would walk around it seven times. On the evening of her marriage she takes a bottle of argan oil, made by her mother, to her new husband. The following morning, her new family would prepare couscous for her with the oil and some honey. Making a well in the centre of the couscous, she pours oil into it and checks her reflection while the family sings a traditional song about the durability of her marriage and the reputation of the argan tree, tree of long life. The bride then offers a spoonful of the couscous to any unmarried women in the room to wish them luck.
The oil is mostly handmade, and its extraction is slow and difficult. The fruit cannot be picked as the trees are too thorny, so the women have to wait for it to ripen and fall naturally and then rush to collect the fruit before the goats get to it. Once they have picked the fruit, it is laid out in the sun to dry. Then the fruit is peeled away and the hard shell of the nut is cracked to remove the almond shaped kernels inside. These are gently toasted and, once cooled, ground in a stone 'rotary quern', similar to a stone pestle and mortar. The ground kernels are then hand-mixed with water to form a sort of dough. This dough is then kneaded to extract the oil.
To put the intensive labour involved to produce the oil into perspective, consider that 100 kilos of fresh argan fruit yields 35 kilos of dried. When peeled, this produces 16 kilos of nuts, which once broken open will generate 2.5 kilos of seeds. These are then pressed and will, finally, generate 1 litre of oil.
Recently, mechanical presses have been introduced to extract argan oil. This process considerably reduces the time needed to extract a litre of oil. Once the kernels are roasted, the mechanical press takes care of the grinding and extraction. More oil is extracted and since no water is added to knead the dough, the oil can be stocked for longer. The most time-consuming part of the process, cracking the nuts, is still done by hand. No heat is used in the oil extraction so the oil can be classed as a cold first-pressed oil.
The oil is highly nutritious and 80% of its fatty acids are unsaturated, which is even higher than olive oil. It is rich in Vitamin E and contains a high percentage of linoleic fatty acid, an essential component for good health and one of only two fatty acids that can't be synthesised by the human body. On the health front it is fantastic in helping in the treatment of heart disease, high cholesterol, rheumatic and joint conditions. In its un-toasted form the Moroccans use it externally for acne and reducing wrinkles and it is often applied to the hair and nails to strengthen them.
19. What do I do with argan oil?
It is a light coloured oil, with a reddish tinge. Although milder in flavour than sesame or walnut oil, the taste is distinctly nutty, with slightly bitter, peppery overtones. In Morocco, argan oil is mainly used as a finishing touch for tagines and sometimes for couscous. Argan oil also adds unique flavour to salads, soups and cheese and other North African dishes. Combine with lemon juice for a refreshing salad dressing. Or, for a real Moroccan experience, mix with honey and yoghurt like the Berbers do for breakfast. In Morocco you can also buy amlou, which is a mixture of argan oil, honey and crushed almonds. It tastes a little like peanut butter and is great on toast.
20. What is so special about preserved lemons?
The lemons are preserved in the Moroccan spring when they are at their ripest and sweetest. The most highly prized lemons are the very small ones called doqq, from the region around Taroudannt, near Agadir. They are prized for their thin skins - thick skin has too much pith and can be bitter. These are the ones that we have sourced for our delicious preserved lemons.
The fruit is washed and dried and then each lemon is scored. This is to ensure that they absorb the salt and water they are packed with and is a vital step in the process as it releases the flavour of the fruit and softens the peel. The lemons have a pickled taste and special 'silken' texture that is totally unique. They add both a subtle fruity taste and an authentic, bitter, lemon flavour that cannot be duplicated by simply adding fresh lemon or limejuice to dishes.
Purists object to any seasonings being added in the preparation of preserved lemons, other than salt. Some cooks, however, particularly from the region around Safi (coastal town between Essaouira and Casablanca), add cinnamon, coriander, chillies and peppercorns to the mix. The word 'beldi' means traditional in Moroccan, and refers to the method of preparation used by Belazu.
21. How do I use Belazu Beldi Preserved Lemons?
Belazu Beldi Preserved Lemons are extremely easy to use. Simply remove the lemons from the jar and rinse before cooking. In tagines, the lemons are either used whole or the skin chopped and added at the end of the cooking process. Because the lemons are preserved in salt, there should be no need for salting the dish in which they are used. Once opened, preserved lemons will keep for up to a year in the refrigerator, but you must keep them covered with some of the juice they come in.
