HOW TO TAST OLIVE OIL LIKE A PRO
Polyphenol-rich, extra virgin olive oil with a harmonious taste
Tasting extra virgin olive oil is similar to tasting wine. And just like wine, extra virgin olive oil has a variety of flavors and aromas. High-quality organic extra virgin olive oil should taste of fresh herbs and fruits, with a range of profiles from delicate to complex. In contrast, inferior olive oil simply tastes like oil.
How to taste olive oil
Olive oils and bread
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Host an olive oil tasting to kick off your next dinner party: we promise you'll whet both your appetite and your curiosity (and start the evening off with a kick!). Tasting olive oil is similar to tasting wine: just like wines, olive oils have a very wide variety of flavors and aromas. A tasting can sharpen your palate and help you determine which olive oil you prefer.
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The three basic categories to consider when tasting olive oil are delicate, medium and intense. To really impress your fellow tasters, we recommend ditching terms like fruity, spicy, bitter, herbaceous, buttery, grassy, peppery, etc.
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To try, choose at least three and no more than five olive oils to maintain balance (and keep the activity fresh!). Now you can try it!
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1. POURING.
Start by pouring a tablespoon or two of extra virgin olive oil into a stemless wine glass. The professionals use special blue glasses designed to disguise the color of the olive oil, which says little about the taste but can subconsciously influence judgment.
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2. WHIRL.
Take the jar in your hands and gently swirl the olive oil to release flavors.
3. BREATHE.
Stick your nose into the glass and take a deep breath.
4. SLURP.
Sip a sip of olive oil and breathe in loudly, the way your mother taught you not to eat soup. Sucking in air enhances the taste. Then breathe out through your nose.
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5. SWALLOW.
As you swallow, focus on the taste.
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6. Think about it.
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First, take your time to consider the general categories (fruitiness, spiciness, bitterness) and then expand on them. Write down your observations and then compare them with those of your fellow tasters.
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7. TO CLEAN.
Between olive oils, refresh your palate with a thin slice of Granny Smith apple or a cube of plain bread.
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8. REPEAT!
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"Nuff" said.
To try extra virgin olive oil at home, sniff to detect aromas, sip loudly to emulsify the olive oil, and swallow to note which aromas you taste. The flavors that extra virgin olive oil exudes are determined by many factors, including the type of olives used, the ripeness of the olives, the growing conditions and the way the olive oil is stored. As you taste, discover and identify the fruitiness, bitterness and spiciness (or pepperiness) of the olive oil. As you try it, ask yourself: Is the scent pleasant or unpleasant? Is the flavor mild, strong, or somewhere in the middle? How does the aroma compare to other olive oils? What three words would you use to describe the aroma of olive oil? Do you feel the bitterness on your tongue? How intense is this bitterness? How does it feel in your throat when you swallow the olive oil? Does it make you cough or burn? Between tasting olive oils, it is traditional to cleanse the palate with Granny Smith apple slices and water.
Taste experiences
We are dealing with the oral cavity. The main sensation occurs on the tongue and the surface of the oral cavity. But the palate and the sides of the throat and the back of the throat also perceive aromas.
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In our culture there are usually four basic tastes: sweet, sour/sour, salty and bitter.
A sweet taste is found at the tip of the tongue and it is not necessary to put any liquid in the mouth to perceive it. All you need to do is moisten the surface of the olive oil with the tip of your tongue. A sweet taste is perceived at its maximum intensity in the first second and then gradually diminishes until it disappears completely after about 10 seconds.
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A sour taste is perceived on the sides of the tongue and towards the back, while a salty taste is found on the sides but not in the middle.
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The bitterness can be felt at the back of the tongue, it comes on slowly but increases and lasts longer.
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Spiciness isn't really a taste stimulus; It is a kinesthetic or tactile sensation. It is noticeable throughout the mouth, but is most noticeable in the back of the throat.
In order to properly taste the four basic tastes, the taste object should touch the entire surface of the mouth, i.e. H. from the tip of the tongue to the back of the roof of the mouth.
In our olive oil tasting we mainly use bitterness and spiciness, as stated in the official IOC tasting sheet.
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Since bitterness and spiciness are considered positive properties of virgin olive oil, for us it is primarily the taste and the kinesthetic sensations.
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Phenolic compounds in virgin olive oil stimulate taste buds and the perception of bitterness, as well as the tips of the trigeminal nerves, which are responsible for the perception of pungency, astringency, and metal attributes in oils. The compounds most closely related to the bitter and pungent sensations so characteristic of virgin olive oil are the phenolic compounds. An oil's phenolic profile affects its oxidative stability because phenols are antioxidants.
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There are now many studies linking the antioxidant properties of these compounds to health benefits. The antioxidant effect is associated with its protective role against oxidative aging.