Flexitarian Kitchen

How to taste Olive Oil


How to taste Olive Oil

Before you buy any olive oil, familiarize yourself with the different quality classifications. I also have some suggestions as to where to buy it.

You find artisan oil mills in California, Oregon, Arizona, Texas, Australia and nearly all Mediterranean countries. Many have small shops and offer olive oil tastings. You can buy directly or over the internet and the price/quality is normally much better than in retail stores.

Never buy olive oil in decorative glass bottles in tourist shops! You have a close to 100% chance to be disappointed as the quality of the olive oil does not live up to the fancy bottle.

Similar to wine olive oil tasting has its certain rituals, here is how it goes:

Similar to wine tasting, olive oil tasters have their own lingo.

Positive Characteristics: It does not mean that you have to like a particular olive oil with one or more of these traits – remember, it’s a bit like wine. These terms rather describe what the International Olive Council (IOC) deems acceptable traits to qualify for extra virgin olive oil, always provide that the technical criteria have been met.

Terms like fresh, fruity, ripe fruity, green fruity, hay-like, lemony, nutty, banana, artichoke, apple, almond, tomato and woody are aromas and tastes that are all positive and self-explanatory.

It may sound strange that some of these traits are considered positive. However, extra virgin olive oil is primarily used to give dishes a particular taste. An extra virgin olive oil with a peppery or green taste might shock you while tasting it on its own. Once incorporated into a dish releasing its aromas and flavors it’s a different story. I have 2-3 different varieties at home which I use depending on the type of dish.

Negative Characteristics: This is the horror cabinet of olive oil aroma and taste, but quite often found in olive oils sold in supermarkets and on the internet.