Artichoke, freshly cut grass and tomato leaf: three green aromas to help you discover the character of fresh extra virgin olive oil.
There is a special time of year when extra virgin olive oil expresses the character of its origins with particular intensity: the beginning of a new harvest. Across the world's olive-growing regions, from the Mediterranean to California, Chile, Argentina, Australia and South Africa, the arrival of freshly produced olive oil is an eagerly anticipated moment.
Harvest seasons vary depending on geography and climate. In the Northern Hemisphere, olive harvesting generally takes place between autumn and early winter, while in the Southern Hemisphere it typically occurs between March and June.
Freshly produced extra virgin olive oil can range in colour from deep green to golden yellow, while its aroma often reveals fresh vegetal notes: freshly cut grass, leaves, green vegetables, and sometimes almond or tomato. But how can you recognise a good new-season olive oil? And, more importantly, what should you look for when you smell it?
Three aromatic references are a good starting point: artichoke, green grass and tomato leaf. These aromas can help us understand one of the most important positive sensory attributes of extra virgin olive oil: fruitiness.
New season Olive Oil: what makes it special?
New-season olive oil is produced from olives harvested during the most recent season. It is not a separate commercial grade, but simply refers to olive oil that has been recently extracted. When healthy olives are harvested and processed promptly, using appropriate techniques and under suitable conditions, the resulting oil can express a vibrant and complex aromatic profile. This is particularly noticeable in oils produced from green olives or olives at an early stage of ripening, which often display pronounced vegetal aromas and intense taste sensations.
Freshly produced olive oil may offer:
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Fresh aromas of grass, leaves, artichoke or tomato.
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Bitterness ranging from delicate to pronounced.
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A peppery sensation felt in the throat.
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A wide variety of aromatic nuances depending on olive variety, growing region, ripeness and production methods.
However, not all new-season olive oils have the same character. Some are delicate, while others are distinctly intense. And a deep green colour alone is not an indicator of quality.
Fruitiness, Bitterness and Pungency: three essential characteristics
When tasting extra virgin olive oil, three positive sensory attributes deserve particular attention: fruitiness, bitterness and pungency. These are established terms in professional olive oil sensory evaluation, but they describe sensations that anyone can learn to recognise.
1. Fruitiness: what the nose reveals
Fruitiness refers to the characteristic olfactory sensations of olive oil obtained from sound, fresh olives, whether green or ripe, perceived both directly through the nose and retronasally. It may be described as green, when it evokes green olives and fresh vegetal notes, or ripe, when aromas associated with more mature olives predominate. An olive oil with green fruitiness may suggest artichoke, freshly cut grass, tomato leaf, aromatic herbs or fresh almond. Depending on its sensory intensity, fruitiness may be classified as mild, medium or intense.
2. Bitterness: a taste, not a defect
Bitterness is primarily perceived on the tongue and is a positive characteristic of extra virgin olive oil, particularly in oils obtained from green or partially ripened olives. It is associated with the presence of phenolic compounds, which also contribute to the oil's antioxidant properties. A bitter olive oil is therefore not necessarily unpleasant. Bitterness can be an essential part of its character.
3. Pungency: that peppery sensation in your throat
Have you ever tasted a freshly produced olive oil and experienced a peppery tickle in your throat, perhaps followed by a little cough? This is a common sensation in fresh extra virgin olive oils containing certain phenolic compounds, including oleocanthal. Pungency is not technically a taste, but a tactile sensation perceived mainly in the mouth and throat. It may be subtle, develop gradually or be particularly pronounced. A high-quality olive oil does not necessarily have to be extremely bitter or pungent. What matters is the absence of sensory defects and the overall quality of its sensory profile, taking into account the type of oil.
Three green aromas to recognise in fresh Olive Oil
Let's explore three aromatic references that are particularly useful for training your nose and developing a more precise olfactory memory.
Artichoke: a distinctive green vegetable note
Artichoke is one of the most recognisable descriptors in many extra virgin olive oils with green fruitiness. Its aroma recalls fresh artichoke, particularly its leaves and freshly cut heart. It is a distinctive vegetal note, sometimes accompanied by grassy nuances. When present, it contributes to the oil's fresh and well-defined aromatic personality.
Freshly cut grass: an immediate sense of freshness
Freshly cut grass is one of the most intuitive aromatic references. Think of the scent released when mowing a lawn or breaking a fresh green stem. In extra virgin olive oil, this note can be clear, fresh and vegetal, or combine with aromas of leaves, aromatic herbs and green vegetables. It is a particularly useful reference for becoming familiar with the concept of green fruitiness.
Tomato leaf: an intense and recognisable green aroma
This is not the smell of a ripe tomato, but rather the distinctive aroma of the tomato plant itself. It is an intense, green, herbaceous and slightly sharp scent. Tomato leaf is a characteristic descriptor in certain extra virgin olive oils and helps distinguish a specific vegetal nuance from the aroma of freshly cut grass.
These three aromas belong to the same broad aromatic family, but they are not interchangeable. Learning to distinguish them means moving beyond a general impression of "something green" towards a more precise and informed sensory description.
How to taste new season Olive Oil: from nose to palate
You don't need complicated equipment to begin. A small glass, a good-quality extra virgin olive oil and a few minutes of attention are enough. Professional olive oil tasters use specially designed coloured tasting glasses to prevent the oil's appearance from influencing their judgement. At home, you can follow the same basic principles using simpler equipment.
Step 1: Smell the Oil
Pour a small amount of olive oil into a glass. Warm it gently in the palm of your hand, covering the opening for a few moments, then bring it towards your nose. Try to identify the first aromas you notice. Grass? Artichoke? Tomato leaf? Almond?
Step 2: Taste the Oil
Take a small sip and distribute the oil throughout your mouth. You can gently draw a little air through your teeth, as professional tasters do, to encourage retronasal aroma perception. Pay attention to the bitterness and any peppery sensation developing in your throat.
Step 3: Describe what you experience
Is the fruitiness mild or intense? Which green aroma can you recognise most clearly? Is the bitterness delicate or pronounced? Does the pungency appear immediately or after a few seconds? Try writing down your impressions without worrying about finding the "correct" answer.
Train your nose: an exercise with three green aromas
Olfactory memory develops through comparison. The more frequently we encounter an aroma and associate it with a specific reference, the easier it becomes to recognise it again. For this exercise, gather a fresh artichoke, some freshly cut grass from an untreated area and a tomato leaf. Smell each one separately, paying attention to their differences. Then move on to your extra virgin olive oil, without necessarily expecting to find all three aromas. You might recognise only one, or perhaps a combination of vegetal notes. Repeat the exercise with oils made from different olive varieties to discover how their aromatic profiles can vary.
The TasterPlace Extra Virgin Olive Oil Aroma Collection allows you to practise this type of sensory training with dedicated aroma references that are always available for comparison and memorisation. The goal is not to identify an aroma correctly on your first attempt, but to become more confident in recognising it over time. Discover the TasterPlace Extra Virgin Olive Oil Aroma Set, featuring 12 aroma references, including 3 common olive oil defects.
Is an intense olive oil better than a delicate one?
This is an important question, particularly when discussing freshly produced olive oil.
The presence of green aromas, bitterness and pungency may indicate a vibrant sensory profile, but this does not mean that an intensely flavoured oil is automatically better than a delicate one. High-quality extra virgin olive oils can have mild, medium or intense fruitiness. Olive variety, fruit ripeness, growing conditions and extraction techniques all influence the final result. A fundamental requirement when evaluating olive oil quality is the absence of sensory defects, such as rancid, winey-vinegary or fusty-muddy sediment notes. Sensory evaluation helps distinguish positive attributes from defects and understand the individual character of each olive oil.
New season Olive Oil: an opportunity to educate your sense of smell
The arrival of new-season olive oil is an opportunity to rediscover the remarkable aromatic diversity of extra virgin olive oil. A single drop can evoke the scents of a vegetable garden, a freshly cut lawn or a leaf gently rubbed between your fingers. Artichoke, freshly cut grass and tomato leaf are just three of the many possible aromatic nuances, but they provide an excellent starting point for anyone wishing to explore olive oil tasting more consciously. Next time you taste a new-season olive oil, before dipping your bread into it, take a few seconds to appreciate its aroma. Smell it, look for a familiar reference and try to give it a name. This is where sensory education begins: with curiosity, attention and the pleasure of discovering something new.
