In this podcast, we take a dive into the culinary world and explore where there is a lot of “fake food” out there. From doctored extra virgin olive oils and grated cheese to wine and balsamic vinegar, we give you the real news on fake food. Topics we cover: •  How we’ve had a few podcast fans visit this year, including Kendra and her new business:  www.vida.wine •  How often we don’t realize the wool is being pulled over our eyes in regards to food. Here’s a list.  Do you have others?  Let us know in the comments. Extra Virgin Olive Oil •  The corrupt world of extra virgin olive oil and the struggles we face with that. It is definitely a fake food most times. •  This book covers this topic extensively.  Check it out: Extra Virginity •  How by Italian law that even if the olives come from a different country, as long as the oil is bottled in Italy it is allowed to be called “Italian Olive Oil” •  How producers from Tuscany come down to Puglia and buy Puglia olives, then bottle extra virgin olive oil in Tuscany and call it Tuscan olive oil •  How our extra virgin olive oil is really just freshly squeezed olives •  We’ve covered this subject a couple of times in past episodes.  Check out: — Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Everything you always wanted to know and never knew to ask — How to tell if your extra virgin oil is really extra virgin — Why your Italian "food" may not be real food   And click here to sign up for our email course explaining more on how to tell if your extra virgin olive oil is really extra virgin.   Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription. There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again. Email Address Subscribe   Coffee •  Paul wonders why whole bean coffee costs less than ground coffee •  Paul believes there must be other additives to make it cost less •  After doing a little research, I think there may be other reasons:  Namely, inferior beans.  Here's what one site had to say: "Whole bean coffees come from better lots, because it’s impossible to hide negative qualities in a bag of whole bean coffee. Much of the coffee’s aromas and flavors are released when it’s ground. Therefore, customers who purchase whole bean coffee and grind it at home will notice the coffee’s nuanced qualities — regardless of whether they are good or bad. In comparison, coffee that’s pre-ground has already lost many of its aromatics and flavors by the time the customer purchases it. Thus, it’s not as important to use beans that are highly flavorful and aromatic when selling pre-ground coffee. Roasters that offer ground selections can get away with using lower-quality beans." •  Does anyone have any insight?  Let us know in the comments! •  How Paul had a work colleague was bragging about how he makes coffee pods that have 75% pure coffee grounds in the pods Parmesan Cheese  •  We did a whole podcast on this here: Why your Italian "food" may not be real food •  How Parmesan actually is legally allowed to have cellulose (wood pulp) in every jar. Supposedly it is a safe anti-clumping additive when it is only 2-4% of a product. But FDA investigations found 8.8% in some! In some cases ,the cheese was less than 40% of the product! Wal-Mart has now be slapped with a lawsuit over selling a product labeled as 100% Grated Parmesan but had 7.8% wood pulp! Truffle oil •  How Paul bought some fresh truffles a few years ago and we made truffle oil •  But then we discovered this can be very very dangerous, and only last 2-3 days •  This sight https://www.idratherbeachef.com/how-to-make-truffle-oil/ goes into it a bit more: "When you make fresh truffle oil as demonstrated in this post, it has a VERY limited shelf life of two, maybe three days maximum. I suggest making it in small batches to ensure all the oil may be used quickly. Fresh truffle oil has a limited shelf life due to the oil not being brought and held 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature that kills botulism and othe