In our last blog we discussed the three components of the flavor of olive oil. Once again they are, fruitiness, pungency or pepperiness and bitterness.

There are several determining factors to the flavor of oil but the most important ones are the variety of the olive and the ripeness (maturity) of the olive at harvest.

Two other important factors are the milling process and where the olives are grown ~ more commonly known in the wine world as terrior. Terrior is a French term nearly always associated with wine but deserves understanding as it also impacts the flavors of olive oil, coffee and tea. Any of these products grown in one location (and of the same variety)
will have subtle or sometimes not so subtle distinctive taste differences from products from other locations..
Read the rest of this entry »

Like pairing a fine dinner with the best and most complimentary wine, understanding and using the right olive oil is just as important in creating a memorable meal.

Before being able to choose the most appropriate and complimentary oil we need to understand what makes up the “flavor” of olive oil.

Since the beginning of olive oil there has been literally hundreds of adjectives used to describe the aroma, taste and mouth feel of olive oils.

Terms such as “grassy, green, buttery, fresh, floral, spicy, and tomato like” are just a few of the adjectives used. They are all descriptive of the total flavor of each oil.

We in the production side of olive oil as well as our taste experts and food critics while still dependent on subjective descriptions break down the flavors into just 3 components when we taste and rate olive oils. As you become more of an expert in tasting you will recognize these three characteristics.
Read the rest of this entry »