Helpful Hints and Tasting
Country of Origin
100% Australian olive oil is now widely available throughout Australia ensuring consumers have access to the freshest, most recently harvested oils.
Best Before Date
Olive oil is the fresh juice of the olive. Not surprising then that it does not improve with age. Whilst it is best used as soon as possible after production, if stored correctly it can be very palatable for up to three years after production.
Selecting oils that are as far away from the ‘best before’ date is a good policy if you wish to purchase the freshest oils.
Storage
To make sure your olive oil retains its flavour and aromatic qualities, store it in a cool, dark place with the lid on firmly to prevent oxidisation.
Tasting Olive Oil
Tasting olive oil involves stimulating the various sensational experiences of the palate and enjoying the aroma. The taste and aroma should be assessed in close succession, as the aroma can influence the taste sensation of the oil.
The aroma is usually experienced first, by warming the oil to body temperature. Placing the oil in a small glass warmed by your hands, and then inhaling the oil confidently can most effectively do this. To experience the flavours, the oil is best tasted from a small glass, but may also be tasted by dipping crusty bread into the oil if the thought of tasting oil ‘neat’ makes you queasy.
Take about 5 mls of the oil into the mouth, let it warm for a few seconds, and then suck air in a fairly violent fashion through the oil, allowing it to spray around your mouth. This ‘spraying’ technique allows the taster to determine the level of ‘pepper’ or ‘pungency’ in the oil. This is an attribute that is popular amongst some users of olive oil, but not all.
If you choose to use a spittoon, then it is a good idea to ensure that you swallow some of the oil, as this will allow you to better assess the level of bitterness in the oil. Bitterness is considered a complexing character in oil, but only if it is not in excess. To taste different oil or repeat the process, clean the palate with carbonated water or slice of the green apple.
There are many flavours, aromas and textures that can be experienced when tasting oil. Some are positive and others negative or “faults”. The following sensory wheel developed by Mojet helps identify these characteristics.
Try blind tasting various oils your with a group of friends to test your skills and discover the wonderful variations between olive oils.
Tasting Wheel
For more information, please visit
http://www.aromadictionary.com/
