THE ABC OF OIL

The tasting

AGRISANA, with these brief notes on tasting an oil, aims at informing and helping  to recognize a quality extra virgin olive oil.

A quality extra virgin olive oil is a food that is good for our health, fundamental in our diet, a constituent part of the Mediterranean diet recognized by UNESCO since 2010, as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

From the olfactory analysis we discover how to perceive a more or less intense fruity flavour and other vegetable sensations: tomato, apple, cut grass, aromatic herbs, etc.

From the gustatory analysis we detect its bitter and spicy intensity.

Remember, there are three positive characteristics of an extra virgin olive oil:

  1. fruitiness
  2. spiciness
  3. bitterness

Nothing has been said regarding the  acidity or visual analysis.

  • The acidity of the oil can only be verified through a chemical analysis, it is not perceptible when tasted! We often confuse the spicy note with acidity.
  • Visual analysis allows us to evaluate colour, clarity and density. Elements that do not affect the quality. Let’s not be fooled, quality extra virgin olive oils can have various shades from yellow to green. On the market transparent oil containers can be found, that highlight the colour of the oil contained. It has to remembered that light is one of the enemies of oil. We buy product in dark packaging, protect it from light to preserve its taste and nutritional properties.

Learning to recognize the quality of an extra virgin olive oil is important both for the taste experience and for the consumption of a food that is good for our health.