How to taste Olive Oil
You find artisan oil mills in nearly all Mediterranean countries. Many have small shops and offer olive oil tastings. You can buy directly and the price/quality is normally much better than in retail stores. By the way, harvest takes place from late September to January, depending on the olive variety and the region.
Similar to wine olive oil tasting has its certain rituals, here is how it goes:
- Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small cup, shake it a little bit, warm the cup in your hands to increase the temperature
- Lift the glass to your nose and smell the aroma. Give it a couple of tries breathing in between away from the oil. Extra virgin olive oil has an aroma which differs from variety to variety.
- Take a small sip and roll the olive oil around in your mouth for 10-15 seconds. The oil must reach all parts of your mouth so that you can experience the taste from the front and the back of your mouth. Similar to wine, extra virgin olive oil has a beginning taste, a mid-pallate taste, and a finish. Spit it out (if inside into a spittoon please). There should be no aftertaste; if there is the olive oil is not of good quality.
- Between tasting each kind of olive oil, drink a bit of water or eat a small piece of bread to cleanse your palate.
Again, similar to wine tasting, olive oil tasters have their own lingo. Here is an excerpt:
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. Before you buy any olive oil, familiarize yourself with the different quality classifications.
