How to recognize an Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Italy is currently one of the nations with the highest oil production in the world.

But have you ever wondered how to recognize a real extra virgin olive oil??

Unfortunately, on this aspect, for many people, ideas are still unclear, probably because we need to deal with experts who understand and who can give us the right explanations to be able to appreciate what we now consider a defect.

So let’s talk about the 3 fundamental aspects that we must keep in mind when tasting an extra virgin olive oil, such as: Fruity, Bitter and Pungent.

These 3 factors can be intense, medium or light and vary based on the type of olives and their state of ripeness and when you do a tasting it is very important to be concentrated in order to capture all the qualities as much as possible.

Let’s talk about it specifically:

1.Fruity:  as the word itself says it is an essence, a fruity scent that we must capture from our oil at the moment of tasting. Fruity can be green or ripe

-Green fruity: when the olfactory sensations recall those of green, unripe fruits that give hints of almond, artichoke or green tomato depending on the type of olive.
-Ripe fruity: when the sensations are more delicate, typical of ripe fruit

2. Bitter: flavor of the oil typical of green or dark-colored olives and is perceived in particular on the tongue.

3.Spicy: pungent sensation characteristic of oils produced at the beginning of the olive oil campaign, mainly from still green olives, which is perceived in particular in the throat.

Another fundamental aspect is the Polyphenols which are characterized by bitterness and pungency. So when we taste an oil with spicy characteristics and a bitterish taste we do not have to worry, on the contrary they are basic elements that make us understand the quality of the product. The quantity of polyphenols present in extra virgin olive oil can depend both on environmental factors and on the oil extraction process. These molecules with antioxidant properties are found precisely in the pulp of the olive and after the pressing process they pass into the oil. It has now been demonstrated, by many scientific works, that polyphenols have numerous benefits for human health. In particular, they perform multiple functions, including an antibacterial, antiviral, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory action. Furthermore, they can prove useful in the prevention of chronic-degenerative diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular diseases.

We conclude by saying that a true extra virgin olive oil to be classified as such needs these 3 fundamental aspects to differentiate itself from other types of oils on the market.