Tasting unfiltered olive oil (and lunch) at Tokara
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Tokara’s filtered premium extra virgin olive oil, an award-winning product that most of us know and love.
Visiting Tokara is a must on the Stellenbosch to-do list, whether you’re an out-of-towner or a local-for-life. This landmark winery, restaurant, deli and olive oil producer is one of my favourite destinations in my home town – one that we visit regularly and one that keep evolving to bring some us award winning wines, food and oils every year.
This week I had the privilege of visiting Tokara for a special tasting of their unfiltered oils, straight off the press. Unfiltered oils are preferred in top olive oil producing European countries like Italy, but in the South African market people still prefer a clear, filtered product. To tell the truth, I would seek out and buy unfiltered extra virgin olive oil if it was available on shelves. So I might try to twist the arm of Tokara’s olive farmer to sell me some of their milky, peppery gold.
We tasted three varietals, including a soft and mild mission, a new hybrid called FS17 with a walnutty undertone and a very peppery coratina that will take your breath away (literally). Afterwards we had a delicious lunch, prepared by Tokara chef Richard Carstens and Tokara Deli head chef Edwina van Niekerk, accompanied by Tokara’s award winning wines.
Here is my visit in pictures. Do take the time to visit Tokara and Tokara Deli for a wine tasting, some olive oil shopping, or anything from breakfast to dinner.
Autumn becomes Winter at the entrance to Tokara Deli. This is olive harvest season.Tokara GM Karl Lambour welcoming guests to their unfiltered olive oil tasting.Gert van Dyk, olive farmer and oil producer at Tokara’s Olive Shed.We get to take a tour inside the olive production plant at Tokara.Ulfiltered liquid gold.The table in the private dining room at Tokara Deli, next to the olive oil production plant.These little blue glasses are international olive oil tasting glasses – round so that you can warm them in your hands, blue so that colour won’t affect your tasting perception.Our lunch menu.Tokara sauvignon blanc to start with.Freshly baked bread and parmigiano to go with our unfiltered olive oil.Roasted beetroot & gorgonzola salad with orange, pear, winter greens, nuts, thyme & orange dressing.Tokara grenache 2012 to go with our main courses.My choice of main course: mushroom risotto with spinach, leeks, parmesan and mascarpone.Orange & polenta cake with orange ice cream and candied oranges.Renowned Tokara chef Richard Carstens telling us more about his team’s choices for our lunch menu.Tokara Deli head chef Edwina van Niekerk.Freshly baked bread sticks, unfiltered Tokara olive oil, salt and recipes to take home!
