At melslife, we are always looking for fun things to do that are inexpensive, focus on food, and are an experience we can share with our family and friends.
We were recently at a food show in New York, where we met Marina Colonna, who was displaying her line of olive oils. She was nice, friendly, and truly Italian. Marina offered us many samples, and they were some of the best olive oils that we had ever had.
At this same food show, there were at least 200 to 300 companies from California, France, Portugal, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Egypt, each sampling had its own distinct olive oils. We couldn’t try them all, but each of the ones we did try had its own unique flavor. Also, at our local farmer’s market, we sampled Eliki Olive Oil from Greece, and it was quite good.
It got us thinking that it would be fun to have oil olive tasting parties and compare notes. Like, wine, cheese, and chocolate, we do not think that there is one best of any product, because each has its own unique profile and everyone has a different palate.
Before you begin your olive oil tasting party, here is what you need to know:
Most Popular Types of Olive Oil
- Olive oil is a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil. It usually lacks distinctive flavor and has no more than 1.5 percent acidity
- Virgin olive oil is derived from olives by mechanical or other physical means, under specific conditions -- particularly thermal conditions -- that do not lead to any alterations in the oil, and the olives have not undergone any treatment other than washing, decantation, centrifugation and filtration. Virgin oil usually has an acidity of less than 2%, but not more than 3.3 grams per 100 grams. Refined virgin oil usually implies that the taste and acidity were chemically controlled.
- Extra virgin olive oil is derived from the cold pressing of olives and contains less than 0.8 acidity. Most food experts recommend this oil for its quality and taste. We recommend it for your oil olive tasting party
Selecting Olive Oil
Picking a good olive oil is not easy. Each olive growing region features oil olives with their own distinct qualities and character. Like all foods, the taste of an olive can depend on many factors:
- Health of fruit
- Method and period of post-harvest fruit storage
- Oil extraction system
- Method and period of oil storage prior to packing
- Climate
- Cultural techniques (irrigation, drainage, pesticide residues, etc.)
- Soil type
- Harvesting method
- Maturity of fruit
- Method of fruit transport
- Food pairings
- What you recently ate
Some olive oils might be better for sautéing or salad dressings, while others might be perfect for bread dipping or adding to sauces. It depends upon your palette.
Olive Oil Tasting Party
- Invite as many people as you want
- Make it potluck – each guest or couple brings their favourite dish (main course or appetizer – try to pick a theme; i.e., Italian or Mediterranean) and a bottle of extra virgin olive oil (suggest a particular region; i.e., from Italy or France)
- Lay out the dishes – small white saucers – and pour olive oil in each saucer. Place the olive oil bottle behind each dish so your guests can clearly identify each oil
- Near these oils, set out palate cleansers like sparking water (have small cups nearby), slices of green apple, or cheese. Chewy breads work well too
- On both sides of the oils, feature a selection of hearty, crusty bread cut into squares that your guests can use to soak up the oil
- After each guest dips his bread into the oil, add more olive oil to the plate
- If you really want to have fun and impress your guests, offer crushed garlic, and/or pepper, roasted tomatoes, to compliment the olive oils
- Some people will make the tasting a meal
- You can offer a variety of wines or beers, but it’s not necessary. If you are going to have wine, try a fruity Rose, Merlot, or Syrah. Many Italian whites will also go well
- For dessert, go with a baked fruit recipe topped with vanilla ice cream
Be an Olive Oil Tasting Pro
- Use the tip, the sides, and the back of your tongue to evaluate the flavors of each oil. Like wine, swish a small amount around in your mouth
- Now, keeping the olive oil in your mouth, inhale a bit of air through a slightly open mouth; you want to make sure that you inhale gently at first, then vigorously, thus sucking the oil over your palette with a lot of air, so it evenly coats your mouth and doesn't settle on your tongue. This vaporizes the oil and releases the flavor
- Focus on fluidity, consistency, and intensity of the oil
- Look for degrees of flavours: bitterness, spiciness, and fruitiness
- Bitterness is typical for olive oil obtained from green trees
- Fruity flavor usually refers to the age of the fruit and how the olive grower raised the olives. Good olive oils should have a pleasant taste of the olive fruit, which signifies the health and freshness of the olives. Most olive oils vary between sweet, medium, and robust
- Spiciness will depend upon the olive grower and quality of olives. High-quality olive oils should have diverse, spicy tones
Olive Oil Tasting & Aroma Terms
To evaluate the quality of an extra virgin olive oil, professionals focus on aroma and taste. The visual aspect of extra virgin olive oil is unrelated to its quality, and hence the tasting glasses should be tinted. Nevertheless, the clarity and the translucence of the oil tells us about the age of the oil and the filtration method used; its thickness depends upon its territorial origins, as well as its color, the growing methods employed by the olive grower, and the timing of the harvest. Olive oil should not be clear or white. If your oil is clear or white, this usually indicates it was refined and not from the first pressing of olives.
Almond – sort of a nutty flavor
Artichoke – tastes just like an Artichoke
Astringent – bitter flavor created by the oil tannins
Bitter – usually derived from green olives; compliments food well
Brine – usually a salty taste
Burnt – oil tasted burnt – could be good or bad – caramel flavors, toffee, or metallic
Butter – very smooth
Cucumber – usually means it’s been stored too long or improperly
Dirty – not a pleasant flavor; tastes as it sounds
Earthy – sort of a musty flavor
Flat – usually oil that has lost its character or flavor
Floral – smells like flowers; could have either a perfumed, candy, or fragrant taste
Fresh – good aroma and very fruity
Fruity – smells like fresh olives; can taste like lime, lemon, apple, passion fruit, guava, or melon
Frozen – tastes like freezer-burn or wet hay
Grass – tastes just like grass
Green – usually refers to newly pressed oil; sometimes bitter. Could be many flavors. Think: herbal, shallot, tomato, apple, olive, green tea, mint, lettuce, figs, or dried herbs
Harmonious – the flavors just work well together
Hay – sort of like a dried grass flavor
Melon – tastes like melon; some people say the oil came from mature fruit
Muddy – not a good taste or smell – think salami, smoky, blue cheese, or bacon
Musty or Woody – this could be good if it’s mild, but terrible if it’s strong – could taste moldy
Nutty – think almond, cashew, or roasted nuts
Peppery or Spicy –think cinnamon or pimento and other kinds of peppers
Pungent – very peppery and bitter
Rancid – tastes like peanuts or linseed oil
Spicy –think cinnamon or pimento and other kinds of peppers
Soave – very sweet
Rotund – no aromatic character or body
Sweet -- usually found in mellow oils
Wine – tastes like vinegar or a chemical solvent
Olive trees that are harvested earlier rather than when the olives are overripe generally produce higher quality oil. For this reason, flavors of slightly unripe fruit and vegetables are to be expected and even desired.
Enjoy.
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