When is it Good to be Bitter? When You're Olive Oil!

On Tuesday we returned to Chiara’s lovely space to have another olive oil tasting, this time more in depth. We were presented with three different olive oils, a quality rubric for each, and a list of the possible positive and negative attributes that can be obtained from an oil.

In order to conduct the tasting, it is suggested to sip the wine and let it flow all over your tongue so it can come in contact with all of your taste buds. Then, sharply breathe in air in order to provide oxygen to the oil and detect its bitterness.

Bitterness is one of, if not the, most desirable qualities in an olive oil. Chiara provided us with bread and crackers that you can use to try the oil on or to cleanse your pallet between oils.

The oils were presented to us as A, B and C (all Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

Oil A: Frantoio La Rocca (EUROSPIN)

Oil B: Aleandri (Offida)

Oil C: Oleificio si Silvesiri Rosina (Ascoli Piceno)

My favorite oil, oil C, was produced in Ascoli Piceno with a monoculture of Tenera Ascolana. Tenera Ascolana is a DOP product from Le Marche region which means it must be produced in Le Marche to be considered an authentic product. This oil had a very prominent aroma and taste of tomato leaf as well as a more subtle aroma of artichoke, it was absolutely delicious. One of the major distinctions between the locally produced oils, B and C, and the industrially produced oil, C, is there are far fewer, if any detectable negative defects in a well-made oil. Mass produced olive oil tends to be fairly metallic as it spends more time in contact with metal processing implements. There also tends to be a more noticeable must smell and no detectable fruitiness. In contrast, the two local oils had a delectable smell of freshly cut grass and noticeable fruity aromas.

one of Chiara's delicious creations - Brie, apples, walnuts, and red cabbage