Store brings 'true' olive oil to Lake George

It’s one of Letizia Mastrantoni’s favorite tools to demonstrate the difference between some olive oils sold in supermarkets and the specialty selection available at the new store and tasting room, which opened last month at 283 Canada St.

During a recent visit, Mastrantoni poured store-bought extra virgin olive oil and an oil from her family’s shop into small tasting cups.

One sample, clear, tasted like thick water, while the other, with a robust olive flavor, caught in the throat, causing a cough.

The latter reaction is common, and is produced by 100 percent true extra virgin olive oil and “the antioxidants going to work from your throat down,” said Letizia’s mother, Carmela Mastrantoni.

She and her husband, Robert, have decades of restaurant experience. Both were born in Italy, and their families immigrated to downstate New York when they were children.

Coincidentally, both families moved to the Lake George region, and the pair met in the 1970s.

They now operate MezzaLuna on Canada Street and the cafe at Lake George Olive Co.

When traveling to Italy over the years, they took note of the difference in olive oils. Frying with many varieties available in the U.S. isn’t recommended, since they smoke when heated. But in Italy, it’s easier to fry with olive oil.

For their restaurants, the family has always been careful in its oil selection and was buying so much, they thought, “We might as well make it available,” Letizia Mastrantoni said.

Over the past decade or so, the “olive oil craze” has led people to substitute other oils for the healthier staple of Mediterranean cooking, Carmela Mastrantoni said.

To keep up with demand, many olive oil producers cut their olive oils with cheaper oils, like sunflower seed or even lamp oil, she said, adding she believes about 80 percent of the extra virgin olive oil sold in the U.S. is not 100 percent olive oil.

“As long as it’s 30 percent, they can call it extra virgin,” Carmela Mastrantoni said. But that means the health benefits are drastically reduced, she said.

About two years ago, the Mastrantoni family began researching the new retail venture, hoping it would add something different to a row of souvenir stores and replace the Victorian gift shop that previously occupied the space.

Carmela and Robert Mastrantoni’s children, Letizia and Robert Jr., both in their 20s, are operating the Lake George Olive Oil Co.

“I love that they’re as excited about it as we are,” Carmela Mastrantoni said.

The health benefits are Letizia Mastrantoni’s particular passion.

“I want to change it from an apple a day to a tablespoon of olive oil a day,” she said. “It’s such a great substitute. You can use it on everything. The flavored oils that are infused with herbs are incredible.”

She explained a phytonutrient called oleocanthal has been shown to reduce inflammation. The oil’s properties can help lower blood cholesterol levels, and the rich antioxidants are thought to minimize cancer risks. A recent study from France found older people who used olive oil in cooking and dressings had a 41 percent lower risk of stroke, compared with those who didn’t use it at all.

The oils and vinegars are displayed at the store in stainless steel dispensers called fustis. All oils and vinegars are poured upon order, and prices range from $12.95 to $16.95 for bottles from 200 to 375 milliliters.

All oils are listed with a crush date, country of origin and health properties measured at the time of the crush. Each also has a taste panel assessment.

The oils, purchased through a California distributor — a woman who owns all of her own orchards overseas — are made from olives pressed only once and harvested from the branches, rather than from off the ground after falling.

Letizia’s brother, Robert, said to get the flavor of the olive oil, tasters should pour at least a tablespoon into the provided plastic cups.

“We have bread to dip in it too, but if you really want to get the essence, it’s recommended you take a straight sip,” Robert said.

Tasting vinegars is simple, but there is a method to tasting olive oil. First, warm the oil in a cup by cupping it in your hand. The heat releases its fragrance, also called the “nose” of the oil, Robert said.

“When you drink it, you’re supposed to slurp it and get a little oxygen in there,” he said. “That is to further release some of the flavor. Also, an important thing is to let it sit on your tongue, so your whole tongue can absorb the flavors.”

Editor’s note: This is a regular series focusing on interesting local businesses and the ways they survive, thrive and innovate. Local business owners are invited to contact The Post-Star.