Taking into consideration the numerous olive oil types available in the market, it is an imperative need for buyers or consumers to learn how to taste Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Developing tasting skills will be really helpful for everyone interested to know which extra virgin olive oil matches better with their flavors or even with their cooking recipes.

Just follow our 6 Steps Guide and start developing your tasting skills!

You will need:
– 5 tasting glasses (experts use blue –tinted glasses as color is not an indication of quality. However, plastic caps can be also used instead).
– Different oils for comparison.

Get Started!

1. Place one or two tablespoons of each oil into the tasting caps.
2. Warm the oil of the first cap with your hand and close the cap with the other hand. Heat will help olive oil to release its aromas.
3. Bring the cup to your nose, inhaling deeply and note down what sensations each oil gives you (e.g. freshness, fruitiness, ripeness etc.).
4. After smelling all the caps, put them in order by starting from the one with the weakest smell to the one with the stronger.
5. Starting from the cap with the weakest smell, sip some of the oil and round it in your mouth. Suck in some air and swallow at least some of it in order to feel the taste in your throat.
6. Continue the same procedure with the other caps.

*Before moving on to the next cap, cleanse your palate with some water or slices of apple/ bread.

You will be surprised with all the differences you will find!

Olive fruit is one of the most beneficial natural crops, because of its essential advantages for human health.

However, among the oils extracted from olives, only Extra Virgin is able to provide your health all the beneficial characteristic the olive oil is known for. Recognising its high nutritional value, we gathered for you all the information that will help you recognise a qualitative Extra Virgin Olive Oil!

Acidity: one of the most important factors that can help us recognize a “good” olive oil. Is defined as percentage of free fatty acids in 100 grams of oil. In order to define an olive oil as extra virgin, its acidity level should be less than 0.8%. “The lower the acidity level is, the more premium the olive oil will be”.

Cold extracted: olive oil extracted in temperature that never exceeds 27 ºC. Cold extracted oils retain all of their flavor, aroma, and nutritional value.

Early harvest: olive oil made from olives at early ripeness at the beginning of the new season crop.

Fruitiness: positive attribute of extra virgin olive oil that depends on the variety and comes from fresh olives, either ripe or unripe. Сomplete lack of this characteristic signifies that the oil tasting is not olive oil. However, really low tensity signifies that the olive oil is not extra virgin.

Pungent: positive attribute of extra virgin olive oil, common characteristic of oils produced at the start of the new crop from olives that are still unripe. It is perceived on the upper part of the throat.

Bitter: positive attribute of extra virgin olive oil, common characteristic of olive oils obtained from green olives or olives that are now getting mature. It is perceived on the V region of the tongue. “Because Bitter is Better!”

Make the right choice!