For Maison Zitoun, extra virgin is the minimum. Not the outcome, but the starting point. Because within extra virgin, there is a world of difference - and that world is determined by one unforgiving standard: acidity.

Cold pressing of our Maison zitoun olive oil

The official standard for extra virgin is a maximum of 0.8% acidity. But the lower that figure, the purer the taste, the more refined the finish, the higher the quality. Our oil is at a maximum of 0.3% – a value that only premium oils in the world achieve. No bitter undertone, no burning sensation in the back of the throat. Only softness, depth, and the sunny finesse of the Chemlali olive.

Such a low acidity is not achieved easily. It depends on the moment of picking, on the care with which the olives are handled and - above all - on the method and speed of pressing. Olives that are left too long will oxidize. Presses that become too hot will betray the taste. Every hour counts, every degree makes a difference. For us, that was not a detail. It was the essence.

At the end of last year, we made the difference measurable. We had our olives pressed by five different pressing facilities in the region - each with its own technique, its own pace, its own house style. We brought the five resulting oils to Belgium. And there, in our own kitchen, we organized a series of blind tastings: with friends, with family, with restaurateurs with a trained palate. But the most valuable confirmation came from closer to home. In Tunisia, we also had Sami's mother and aunts taste the oils - women whose entire lives are intertwined with olive oil, and whose judgment carries more weight than any other. Their choice fell on the same oil. The verdict was consistently the same, on both sides of the Mediterranean. One oil unambiguously stood out. Softer, more elegant, with a depth that the others could not match.

Olive oil tasting session with top chef Sam D'Huyvetter

The choice fell on Tanit Mediteraneum, a Tunisian family business that applies the highest quality and hygiene standards. A partner who shares our obsession for detail - from the moment the olives arrive until the oil is bottled.

What ends up in our tins is no coincidence. It is the result of generations-old expertise, combined with today's most refined pressing techniques. An extra virgin oil of exceptional quality, born from care, patience and an uncompromising choice. An oil that speaks, even without words - from the very first drop.

Our partner Tanit Mediteraneum

Belgium is a butterland. Here, food is cooked with cream, fried in butter, and eaten with a longing for what is soft and comforting. Our oil fits seamlessly into this: buttery and creamy on the tongue, full and round in flavor, without the sharp Southern kick that sometimes pushes olive oil into an odd corner here. An oil that feels at home at a Belgian table, next to mashed potatoes or in a fresh mayonnaise – and that finds its place just as effortlessly in Mediterranean cuisine.