Khalaf “First Press” Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Available in extremely limited quantities, this unfiltered extra-virgin olive oil is made from the very first cold-pressing of Khalaf’s Palestinian Souri olives. (These same olives are used in their smash hit EVOO, which we carry once a year.) It’s a green-tinged gold color and cloudy in the bottle, with an intense peppery aroma and a flavor profile that’s bright, grassy, smooth and buttery all at once. Because it’s unfiltered, this oil retains some solids from the olive pulp, giving it a creamy texture and bolder flavor than filtered oils. As the bottle ages, those solids will continue to evolve and mature, allowing you to taste the natural progression with time. Its bold aroma, rich flavor and full-bodied texture make this a finishing oil without equal; drizzle it over fresh bread, roasted vegetables, grilled meat, poached fish, dips and more. (In fact, we don’t recommend heating it much, if at all—the magic of unfiltered olive oil lies in its minimally processed nature, and heat can dull its one-of-a-kind qualities.)

Khalaf’s single-estate oil is made solely of Souri olives harvested in an ancient grove. (How ancient? 2,000-year-old olive trees still thrive here.) It’s buttery, smooth and bright thanks to the optimal climate, sunshine and stony ground topography of the Rameh Valley, a region dubbed the “Queen of Palestinian Olive Oil.” The Khalaf family, who have tended their groves in Palestine for over 160 years, follow meticulous harvesting methods. The trees are never watered—even the ancient ones—or treated with fertilizers and chemicals. In November and early December, each Souri olive is picked at peak ripeness (it looks mottled with shades of green and purple) when they are plump with oil, ideal for easy extraction.