Tasting freshly pressed olive oil is like “drinking” in the land where the olives were grown: each sip brings back the scents of autumn fields and the earth that nurtured it. The land is, in fact, an unmistakable signature for each oil. Every region, olive variety, and cultivation method contributes to creating an oil with unique aromatic qualities.
Among extra virgin olive oil producers, Europe holds a place of honor, with Italy, Spain, Greece, and Portugal as major exporters. But olive oil culture isn’t exclusive to the Old Continent. High-quality oils are also produced in Africa and the Middle East, with Tunisia and Morocco standing out for their excellence. Other continents are increasingly contributing to global extra virgin olive oil production. In the United States, California has become an important center, with oils boasting unique flavor profiles influenced by the Mediterranean climate of the West Coast. Australia and Chile are other key players in the international scene: with innovative cultivation methods and growing attention to quality, these countries are bringing fresh, interesting oils to tables worldwide.
Newly produced oil, known as “olio nuovo,” has an unmistakably vibrant aromatic and flavor profile. On the nose, it presents fresh, herbaceous notes reminiscent of cut grass, tomato leaves, artichokes, or green apples. On the palate, olio nuovo delivers a bold, intense taste, often marked by a pronounced bitterness and pungency—two positive qualities indicating a wealth of polyphenols and antioxidants. While these vibrant notes mellow over time, the oil retains its sensory properties for months if well stored.
Extra virgin olive oil contains a complex range of aromas, from fruity to herbaceous, with notes of almond, tomato, and spicy hints. Recognizing these subtle scent and flavor nuances is one of the joys of tasting. It’s not just a matter of taste but a sensory experience that connects directly to the oil’s place of origin, its fields, light, and earth.
Aromas are the primary key to distinguishing a quality extra virgin oil. A fresh, high-quality EVOO surprises with the intensity and complexity of its bouquet, while a defective oil might appear dull or display undesirable notes like rancid or musty. Discerning these characteristics will allow you to select only the finest oils and appreciate their authenticity.
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To fully appreciate all that extra virgin olive oil offers in terms of flavor, it is essential to train the sense of smell.
Acclimating your nose to recognize certain aromas, distinguish them, and associate them with specific cultivars helps in choosing the right extra virgin oil and pairing each type with the food that best matches its taste, notes, and peculiarities.
The typical aroma from the olive, which stands out at the first taste of oil, is called “fruitiness” and is evaluated based on intensity and green/mature characteristics:
- Intensity: Light – Medium – Intense Oil.
- Green Oil, if it recalls grass or unripe fruit, or Mature Oil, if it recalls flowers or ripe fruit.
Beyond the olive aroma, high-quality extra virgin oil should also present various aromas that give the oil its unique character. These commonly include:
Oil should be kept away from air, light, and heat sources. Otherwise, even a quality oil can lose its good aromas and develop defects. Defects can also stem from the processing and storage of the olives, leading to a negative assessment and preventing the oil from being classified as “extra virgin.” Defects such as moldy, rancid, muddy, heated, winey, vinegar, metallic, frost-bitten olives, overcooked, hay, lubricant, and vegetation water are some flaws that may be detected in oil.
The tasting process engages our senses in three stages: sight, smell, and taste. In the mouth, we perceive tastes (such as bitterness), tactile sensations (like spice), and the aromas already detected by smelling the oil.
- Sight: The oil should be clear, but the shade of green doesn’t matter, which is why professional-tasting glasses are blue.
- Smell: Define the intensity of the aroma; assess whether it brings green or mature fruit notes; identify which aromas, in addition to olive, are perceived in the oil.
- Taste: Evaluate the intensity or presence of bitterness and pungency, which are quality indicators. Describe the aromas present beyond that of the olive.
To appreciate an olive oil’s unique characteristics, practice by tasting multiple oils in sequence. This will make the seemingly subtle differences in aromatic profile between products more apparent.
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Oil and food pairings
Tasting quality extra virgin oils from different Italian regions quickly reveals the importance of pairing with food. It’s challenging to eat a green salad dressed with an intense, bitter, and pungent oil; similarly, a light oil fades when paired with a grilled steak. Each extra virgin oil enhances the flavor of specific foods and allows dishes to be best composed. A simple bruschetta paired with the right oil brings maximum pleasure.
A light, fruity oil is perfect for dressing salads and delicate dishes, while a more intense oil with bitter and spicy notes is ideal for enhancing meats and soups. This opens up the possibility of creating new flavor combinations by pairing oil with food.
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TasterPlace offers tools to make tasting more accessible by training the sense of smell—a new way to choose what to eat and how to pair different foods.
The smell is our most important sense when tasting food or drink. Odors are the first things we notice when coming into contact with food and beverages; the aromas released in the mouth, perceived retronasally by the sense of smell, contribute to what we commonly call “flavor.” Despite this, smell is the sense we train the least, and often struggle to recognize even the most common scents. Olfactory memory can be trained and significantly improved over time with practice.
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Extra virgin olive oil not only delights the palate but is also packed with health benefits. Its natural polyphenols and antioxidants help protect the heart and fight aging.
In this season, as the new oil arrives with its intense aromas, you can train yourself to recognize them and savor the richness that nature has packed into every drop of this “green gold.”