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How to differentiate extra virgin olive oils

by Cécile Le Galliard , September 19, 2012

“With the exception of hearing, all the senses are useful for tasting and differentiating an extra virgin olive oil*. The flavor of an olive oil varies according to several parameters: the variety of the olive, the degree of maturation (time of harvest), the cultivated land, … Each oil has its own organoleptic characteristics.

But how to distinguish them from each other?

Below are the factors taken into account by the sommelier (word borrowed from the wine world) to taste an olive oil:

The view: Contrary to popular belief, color in no way determines its quality. Like wine, dress/color is used to differentiate one oil from another. The hue may range from yellow-green to chick yellow. Smell: Used to identify aromas (in the case of virgin and extra virgin olive oils only): apples, grass, dried fruit, plants of tomato… Before tasting, cover the glass for a few seconds or heat the container in your hand (sommeliers test oils at 28º). The sense of smell makes it possible to describe the fruitiness of the olive oil. The taste: This is the stage where the flavors of the olive oil are identified. In the case of olive oil, bitterness. Touch: The palate and the tongue are the protagonists, to identify the structure and the consistency - juicy, fluid, sweet, pasty and fiery. Tanginess is one of the three positive attributes of olive oil.

Finally, we judge an olive oil for its overall harmony which takes into account all these organoleptic characteristics

Maturity stage

The evaluation of the level of maturity can be done from the overall color of the sample (the fastest method). It is necessary to collect 1-2 kilos of olives and observe the surface of the sample. There is no need to count, an overview provides sufficient precision.

As some olive varieties go through several stages of color while others go directly from green to black, only the rate of color is taken into account, whatever the color. yellow coloring is considered differently, and will be further developed once we have enough information).