 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
HOW TO TASTE-TEST OLIVE OIL
The method for tasting varies but here
is one popular way -
(1) Pour a little olive oil (approximately
1 tablespoon) in a small glass. Cover
the glass with one hand, shake it
delicately with the other until the oil
adheres to the entire inside surface.
Warm oil in the glass with your hands
until it is close to body temperature.
(2) Lift the glass to your nose and sniff
rapidly and deeply three time (raising
your nose up and away from the oil
between each sniff). Olive oils have
aromas just like wine.
(3) Tasting: Take a sip (approx. 10
drops into mouth) but do not swallow it!
Roll the olive oil around in your mouth
for no less than 6 seconds and then
spit it out. The oil should touch all
areas of the mouth so that the various
tastes and sensations can be noted.
Then spit it out.
(4) A low quality of bad extra-virgin
olive oil will leave a lasting aftertaste.
An extra-virgin olive oil of high quality
may be bitter tasting at first but will
leave your mouth clean with no
aftertaste and should have some
degree of a peppery taste. The
pepperiness is noticed on finish (like
with wine, extra-virgin olive oil has a
beginning taste, a mid-palate taste,
and a finish). The pepperiness will not
linger - it is only present when healthy,
fresh olives were crushed to make the
olive oil - this is why experts always
look for this.
(5) Between tasting each kind of olive
oil, drink lots of water and eat a small
piece of bread to cleanse your palate.
No wine - just water.
The method for tasting varies but here
is one popular way -
(1) Pour a little olive oil (approximately
1 tablespoon) in a small glass. Cover
the glass with one hand, shake it
delicately with the other until the oil
adheres to the entire inside surface.
Warm oil in the glass with your hands
until it is close to body temperature.
(2) Lift the glass to your nose and sniff
rapidly and deeply three time (raising
your nose up and away from the oil
between each sniff). Olive oils have
aromas just like wine.
(3) Tasting: Take a sip (approx. 10
drops into mouth) but do not swallow it!
Roll the olive oil around in your mouth
for no less than 6 seconds and then
spit it out. The oil should touch all
areas of the mouth so that the various
tastes and sensations can be noted.
Then spit it out.
(4) A low quality of bad extra-virgin
olive oil will leave a lasting aftertaste.
An extra-virgin olive oil of high quality
may be bitter tasting at first but will
leave your mouth clean with no
aftertaste and should have some
degree of a peppery taste. The
pepperiness is noticed on finish (like
with wine, extra-virgin olive oil has a
beginning taste, a mid-palate taste,
and a finish). The pepperiness will not
linger - it is only present when healthy,
fresh olives were crushed to make the
olive oil - this is why experts always
look for this.
(5) Between tasting each kind of olive
oil, drink lots of water and eat a small
piece of bread to cleanse your palate.
No wine - just water.
WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN TASTING
OLIVE OIL
Bear in mind I am a grower, not an
expert in the field of tasting oils.
Olive oil tasting is like wine tasting.
You can sample wine every year that is
made from the same vineyard and
processed the same way and it will
always be different each time.
Weather, watering cycles and the day
a grower decides to harvest are major
influences on the result you buy. In
laymans terms -
Bitter tasting oil is possibly better than
an oil that tastes great. That goes
against what our mind and tongue are
trying to tell us but a bitter oil means it
was probably harvested mostly before
the crop was ripe. It can also be due
to the amount of meat under the skin
versus the size of the nut. Growers
like myself prefer to provide you with
an oil that tends toward the ultimate in
health and longest shelf life because I
know that most of you do not go
through oil like soda pop or coffee. An
oil that tastes great (and is truly just
olive oil) may not last more than a few
months before it goes stale and also
may not have the strongest health
qualities. That is not to say that a
straight Extra Virgin Oil that tastes
great is not healthy. I am just trying to
indicate that the oils that taste the best
do not usually last on the shelf in taste
and strongest attributes of their health
qualities.
Some will tell you that an expert taster
will prefer that bitterness exists more
than flavor. That maybe true but from
the consumer perspective, we are
generally more delighted by great
taste unless we are purposely trying to
optimize our intake of all that is healthy
no matter what it tastes like!
OLIVE OIL
Bear in mind I am a grower, not an
expert in the field of tasting oils.
Olive oil tasting is like wine tasting.
You can sample wine every year that is
made from the same vineyard and
processed the same way and it will
always be different each time.
Weather, watering cycles and the day
a grower decides to harvest are major
influences on the result you buy. In
laymans terms -
Bitter tasting oil is possibly better than
an oil that tastes great. That goes
against what our mind and tongue are
trying to tell us but a bitter oil means it
was probably harvested mostly before
the crop was ripe. It can also be due
to the amount of meat under the skin
versus the size of the nut. Growers
like myself prefer to provide you with
an oil that tends toward the ultimate in
health and longest shelf life because I
know that most of you do not go
through oil like soda pop or coffee. An
oil that tastes great (and is truly just
olive oil) may not last more than a few
months before it goes stale and also
may not have the strongest health
qualities. That is not to say that a
straight Extra Virgin Oil that tastes
great is not healthy. I am just trying to
indicate that the oils that taste the best
do not usually last on the shelf in taste
and strongest attributes of their health
qualities.
Some will tell you that an expert taster
will prefer that bitterness exists more
than flavor. That maybe true but from
the consumer perspective, we are
generally more delighted by great
taste unless we are purposely trying to
optimize our intake of all that is healthy
no matter what it tastes like!
| Story Olive Oil Co. |