The taste of olive oil
Table of Contents
Taste and quality
Trying to describe sensations and flavors for tasting olive oils is like trying to describe sensations of food tasting. It is a very individual procedure and everyone will have a slightly different taste. However, there are some basics that help to distinguish a good olive oil from a not to good or even bad one.
The many variables that go into the production of olive oil yield dramatic differences in color, aroma, and flavor. The taste of each oil will be defined by the variety of olive used, the location and soil conditions of the olive trees, environmental factors and weather of that season, the grade of ripeness of the olives and the time of harvest, the harvesting method, the pressing technique and the packaging or storage methods used for the final oil. Though olive oils are graded by production method, acidity content, and flavor, the final judge will always be the cook or the guest.
The color of olive oil is not quality factor for its taste
Color is not an indicator of the quality of olive oil, it just depends on the type of olive to get an intense yellow oil or a deep green oil. Fruity oils tend to a dark green color, where the olives have not reached ripeness, whereas a golden oil will result out of sweeter olives picked later in the harvest.
Extra virgin and virgin olive oil are for the most part greener than regular olive oil and refined olive oil, which is usually light yellow. However, extra virgin and virgin olive oil can have a golden color too.
The color varies based on when the olive was harvested and the amount of chlorophyll that ends up in the oil. The greener olive oils are composed of unripe olives, while golden ones use ripe olives, but neither is necessarily better. The green olives give an olive oil a slight bitter taste, sometimes compared to peppers. They also have a strong aroma. On the other side of the spectrum, yellow olive oils are made from ripe olives (which are black) and produce a milder, buttery taste. The green emerald olive oil is the traditional style of Italy, while Spanish olive oil is golden and has a milder flavor and aroma.
Flavor and tasting
Tasting olive oil is like tasting any other liquid: The tasters smell, look, taste and touch the oil to judge its qualities. Color, fluidity, taste and flavor play a role when tasting olive oil types. It is advised to chew some apple pieces to neutralize the taste of the oil and rinse it with some water before tasting another oil. By simple observation the quality of an olive oil can be determined by its cleanness: If it looks turbid, dirty or too dark, it may not be the best oil. A clean, veiled oil will be an indicator of good quality.
Flavor is the result of many factors such as the varietal of the olive, very much like a wine, the ripeness of the olive, water, soil, etc. Some oils have a distinct fruity flavor, with a hint of apple or almond.
First, start smelling at it: Does it remind you of a ripe olive, a green olive, an apple, green grass or green leaves? This will be an indicator for natural freshness and good quality.
Then take a small sip and let it flow in your mouth. A good taste will be something you could describe as fruity, fresh, clean, only a little bitter, healthy, sweet, nutty or reminding a vegetable. Negative taste sensations will be an intense bitter or tasty flavor, and any taste that seems sort of winery, sour, acid, mod, rotten, rancid, reheated, humid or sour will be marked as negative.
A good and fresh olive oil will be fruity at first, pungent then and slightly bitter at last, but harmonizing with all three tastes. Take in air and slurp the oil to let oxygen in the mouth as it will open up the flavors to your senses. Rinse and repeat with each oil you would like to compare and let your senses judge.
Viscosity and tasting
As with wine, this refers to the body of the oil.
If may seem not a really pleasant thing to do, but to taste consistency of olive oil you must take a sip of it and let it flow inside your mouth. The tasting will focus on the oil being doughy, soft, fluidity and more or less aqueous. Anything that deviates from a normal oil consistency will be of low quality.
Harmony plays a big role when judging any olive oil: Has it a fruity aroma that reminds of the olive type from which the oil was pressed? Are all aromas present in a perfect balance without any dominance? If any answer to this questions is a Yes, the oil will get some good quality points. But if you instantly notice one aroma or even bad taste dominating all others the oil has some flaws.
