Last summer, we were travelling and visiting family in the south of France, and had to stop by this well-known olive mill in the region.
Le Moulin du Calanquet’s (the mill of Calanquet) name came from the provençal word Calan (rock), a shelter from the wind and rain.
Thought that this was a lovely name as it uses modern production techniques for food safety and hygiene, while protecting traditional provençal values and flavours.
If you are ever travelling near Marseille and Cassis, you’ll also need to visit the Calanques, a breathtaking Mediterranean shoreline of rock formations, cliffs, lagoons and beaches.
The 5-generation old agricultural Brun family relaunched its olive production more than 20 years ago, and like many top vineyards, produce monovarietal olive oils in addition to a blend.
When you enter their store, don’t forget to request for a presentation of the different artisanal olive products, and even a tasting of the samples.
You’ll find a whole variety of olive-based products – from marinated olives, oils, to spreads and savoury crisps.
An interesting fact which we learnt during the visit was that “black” olives are actually closer to a deep violet in colour.
The jet black olives which you see in supermarket brands are this colour due to unnatural chemical processes.
Choose “green” olives for less ripe, crunchier olives, and “black” for more matured, softer specimens with deeper flavours.
kayafrenchtoast’s picks
There is a wide selection of olive oils with different level of “strengths”, and you can count on the staff to advise you accordingly.
We noted the cloudiness nature of the olive oils which we bought. This is a sign that the oil was pressed recently and not left to decant for years in a sealed container.
It’s honestly heavenly when we use their olive oils for our salad vinaigrettes, stir frying, or simply with bread.
Beyond the award-winning olive oils, we found the pistou-flavoured green olives particularly crunchy and flavourful.
You’ll need to try the region’s speciality – le pistou provençal. This delightful condiment is the cousin of the Italian pesto, made with fresh basil, garlic, olive oil minus the cheese and pine nuts.
Don’t say we didn’t warn you, we were so enamoured by the mill’s warm service and fantastic selection that our car almost ran out of luggage space when we left!
Coordonnées
3206 Vieux Chemin d’Arles, 13210 Saint-Rémy-de-Provence
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