Olive Oils: Extra Virgin Varietals Offer a World of Flavor
Travel beyond the supermarket blends to experience unique and
flavorful single-varietal extra virgin olive oils produced
around the globe.
If the extent of your experience buying olive oil is at the
supermarket - it's shelved lined with olive oils bearing labels
with Italian-sounding names - you may think olive oil is an
Italian, or primarily Italian food. If so, you would be very
wrong. Olive oil was introduced to America primarily by Italians
- hence the proliferation of Italian (or Italian-sounding) olive
oil brands. But olive oil comes from places as far apart as
Spain and Australia - and each location gives a unique flavor
and quality to the oil it produces. If you're limiting yourself
to one geographic origin, you're missing a whole palate of olive
oil flavors.
Everyone knows that the same grape produces different wines in
different locations. The Cabernet Sauvignons of California are
different wines than the Bordeaux of France even though they are
pressed from the same grape. Every wine has a terroir - that is,
factors that influence its taste due to where it comes from,
especially the soil and climate where the fruit was grown.
Although many people don't realize it, olive oil also has a
terroir.
Other than separating it from the watery juice produced when the
olives are crushed, extra virgin olive oil undergoes virtually
no other processing. So, the product that you pour on your
salads or other dishes or dip your bread in is pretty much
straight from the fruit. In fact, unlike many "fresh squeezed"
juices you may find at the supermarket, cold-pressed extra
virgin olive oil is not pasteurized or heated, so there is no
loss of flavor components due to heating.
Olives for oil are grown in countries around the world,
including Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Israel, Tunisia, Jordan,
Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.
While you may find the same varietal - say Manzanilla - being
grown in Spain, Israel, Australia and California, the olive and
its oil will taste different in each location. This is due to
differences in soil composition, water and climate. The olive
tree takes all of these influences and condenses them into the
olive - producing its "terroir", that is, the factors in its
flavor that are influenced by its growing location. (By the way
- the next time you have your big plastic bottle of "Italian"
olive oil from the supermarket at hand, take a close look at the
label. Chances are you'll find the phrase "Contains oils from"
followed by a list of countries, none of which are Italy! What
you have then, is a blend of oils where any terroir has been
blended out.)
Fine extra virgin olive oils are a seasoning. They add critical
flavor nuances to any dish and some oils fit a particular dish
better than others - just as some wines are better suited to
certain foods. If you enjoy olive oil, you should collect a few
bottles of different varietals from different geographic
regions. Don't be afraid of spending more for fine oils that you
do for your everyday oil - you'll use a lot less of it. Gourmet
quality extra virgin oils should not be used for
high-temperature cooking or frying as the heat destroys flavor
components. Instead, use a lower-priced oil for the actual
cooking and finish with a splash of the gourmet oils. Just a
splash of fine extra-virgin olive oil will give great flavor to
your dishes.
A feature that is becoming more common in gourmet stores across
the country is the olive oil tasting bar. If you happen across
one, take a moment to taste the same varietals from different
locations and compare different varietals to each other. The
differences may surprise you. Any food, even bland white bread,
will change your perception of olive oil flavors. So, when you
do a tasting, try doing it the way professionals do - sip the
oil without dipping anything into it. Pour a bit in a small cup
and warm it gently in your hand. Then smell the oil to
experience its aroma. Then take a sip. Work the oil around your
mouth before you swallow to get the full impact of its body and
flavor. Then, after you swallow, wait several seconds - many
oils have a pleasant peppery pungency you'll feel in the back of
your throat after a short delay. Color doesn't indicate quality,
so try not to let it influence you. And don't worry if you can't
deconstruct the flavor profile like a pro - the important thing
is to find oils that taste good to you!
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