Baena, a hill town in southern Spain, is home to the olive groves that produce this wonderfully-crafted and perfectly-balanced blend of oils, evoked from Picual, Picudo, and Hojiblanca olives, all Spanish superstars and delicious fruits that yield the contents of this extraordinary bottle. Our Baena has a greenish-yellow hue that is reminiscent of a sun-streaked meadow, dense and glistening from the morning mist. Its cloudy appearance is contrasted by full-bodied, bold flavor that will wake up and surprise even the dullest senses. Unfiltered at our request for enhanced flavor and fragrance, this complex, spicy and peppery oil is voluptuous and lusty; the oil is pressed within mere hours of the olive harvest, preserving intricate flavors and aromas. Not only is this a Kosher product, but -- and we’re going to get technical here (we know how you love these food facts) -- it’s an authentically produced one that is qualified to receive the Denomination of Origin (D.O.), a strictly regulated title that indicates and confirms that the Baena was indeed made in a specific area, using certain olives, cultivation techniques, and methods that make this oil special, preserving its color, taste, odor, and feel.

Use it to make a salad of sliced tomatoes and onions with mozzarella. Perk up a slice of pizza by drizzling some Baena on top of it. Or smear Baena instead of a pat of butter on a piece of Fairway baguette. It can also be rubbed on chicken or fish before roasting, or brushed on shrimp before grilling. Saute it with garlic, onions, tomatoes, and zucchini for a side dish, or toss it with cooked pasta, olives, diced marinated peppers, and provolone for a light lunch. You can even showcase it on your table like a ready-made sauce. Put it in a cruet that will always beckon to you to pick it up for a pour.

Fairway Marketplace is brought to you by Fairway Market, a specialty food chain that started back in 1933 with a small fruit and vegetable stand on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Today, Fairway Market is legendary for its experts and expertise in all things food, and a relentless obsession with quality throughout all of the different departments in its stores. In December of 2011, Fairway launched this online shop, so that we could bring the best of the best of what Fairway offers, at the same great values, to those who don’t live near one of our stores. Why keep all of this foodie goodness to ourselves? That simply would not be fair.