The Mystery of Liquid Gold (Part Two)
Last week, we tackled the topic of extra-virgin olive oils and what makes them so appealing to the palate. Here is the second half of the discussion. With all this information under your belt, the key to remember, however, is that it is all about the taste and having an open mind to find what you like best.
Wine writer Marguerite Thomas and I recently did an impromptu blind tasting of six EVOOs from around the world. To our surprise, both of us selected an organic olive oil from Tunisia called Sbeitla as our favorite. Move over Spain and Tuscany!
1. What to look for on an EVOO label
Our olive oil producing expert, Paddy Nichols, tells us to “read the small print carefully and compare information about the polyphenols and country of origin.” She also tells us to “look at the ‘Best by’ date. While my olive oil lasts 2-3 years, in general, the sell-by date for EVOO is 18 months.”
It gets a bit tricky here. While proud producers, such as Paddy, indicate when their olive oil is harvested—so you know for sure how long it should last—most producers use the 18-month indicator from the bottling date. Considering the oil could have been reserved in tanks for a year or more before bottling, the “Best by” date is deceiving. As freshness is everything in olive oil, look for labels where the harvest date is indicated.
Here is a checklist of other things you should look for when reading the label:
· In addition to the country of origin, look for the name of the farm where the oil is produced. The more specific information on where the product is made, usually the better the oil.
· If that is not indicated but there is a name of a town or region where olive trees normally are grown, at least you have a leg up on the product’s authenticity.
· The variety of olives used.
· Any seal of authenticity from official country or regional associations.
· An organic food symbol if this is important to you.
· Awards of excellence. While competitions are not always “pure,” at least it shows the producer put forth an effort to make something worthy of a competition.
· If you find the words “Imported from,” “Made in,” or “Packaged in” plus the name of a country, chances are good it is not what it says it is. Buyer beware.
2. How to avoid buying adulterated olive oil
A recent study by U.C. Davis Olive Oil Institute showed that 70% of the EVOOs found on supermarket shelves were fraudulent. Instead of being the real deal, these oils are often mixed with inferior grades of olive oils, some refined, or not even from the country indicated on the label. Or, they could be diluted with old olive oils held in large tanks from a previous harvest (or two!) where the possibility of being rancid is also high.
An exposé on “Sixty Minutes” in 2016 showed how some unscrupulous producers in Italy were able to concoct EVOOs without even using a trace of any olive oil. A senior Carabinieri officer (Italian police) illustrated how easy it was: First you take a tasteless oil such as sunflower or canola, then add a small quantity of chlorophyll for color, then a splash of beta-carotene for fruitiness. Echo! A Mafia made EVOO.
To avoid being duped, a good first step is to avoid most supermarket EVOOs. There are exceptions, of course, such as major national brands who have too much to lose if they don’t deliver what they say is in their bottles: Trader Joe, Whole Foods and Costco’s Kirkland brand are good examples.
Another recommendation is to purchase olive oil at your favorite gourmet food store. In addition to having an expertise, they also have a reputation to maintain. Also, look on-line. More and more small producers from around the world have started to sell their product directly to the consumer, thereby avoiding the middleman where the potential for fraud can be tempting.
Lastly, buy local. While California produces the lion’s share of American EVOO, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Florida, Oregon, and Hawaii are other local sources.
3. How to taste olive oil
Olive oil experts use many of the same techniques as wine experts do to check for quality and freshness. To taste olive oil properly first pour small amounts in dark colored glasses, cover the top with your hand and swirl the oil to aerate it. Then, smell the oil to detect its aromas and finally, sip a small quantity while doing a reverse whistle. This coats the mouth and allows the various flavors to be tasted.
Italian cookbook author, Michele Scicolone, tells us what she looks for in a good EVOO. “It should be clean and fresh tasting and smelling. I look for the scent of almonds, or tomatoes, artichokes, or other fresh green vegetables especially for the oil I use for dressings. My cooking oil has a good fresh olive aroma with no hint of rancidity.”
Italo-American wine marketer, Tony di Dio, loves spending time in the kitchen cooking for friends and family. Naturally, EVOO is at the ready. Often it comes from the same wine producers he represents. “To me, wherever the oil is sourced, it’s about taste and finish....I don’t want an oil that overpowers the dish, but adds to the flavor. If the oil burns my throat, I won’t use it....it needs to be balanced between fruit and acidity.”
Anthony Giglio—Wine Guru and star at Food & Wine’s annual Aspen Classics—chimes in on the topic. “For me, it's the acidity. As a sommelier and cook, I'm addicted to acidity. For context, I'm the guy who stares down your big, oaky-tannic Cabernet Sauvignon with my well-chilled bottle of low-tannin, high-acid Brouillly or Etna Rosso.” Unlike Tony, Anthony welcomes a more assertive style. “In olive oil it's that little bite that catches your throat that I look for, as well as a lively, fruity nose. I want it to smell as if it were pressed a few hours ago, though I can only dream of having a frantoia near enough to my house for that to really happen.”
A word about style. Olive oil producers have a choice of when they harvest their olives. Olives picked early in the season tend to produce a green colored oil with high levels of chlorophyll. Olives harvested late in the season typically produce an oil more golden in color with higher levels of carotene as they are more fully mature.
If the producer describes his/her oil as “robust” in style, it is likely (but not always!) made with greener, or less ripe, olives. Robust EVOOs tend to display some bitterness, peppery pungency, and herbaceous aromas and flavors. If the oil is described as “mild” or “fruity,” it will be more delicate and therefore, ideal for lighter food preparations such as to make mayonnaise and to drizzle on a delicate dish. More robust oils are typically used for stronger flavored dishes such as roasts and hearty stews.
4. How to properly store EVOO
Light and heat are the enemies of EVOO as both encourage rancidity. It is best to keep your olive oil in dark bottles (never clear glass!) in a cool, dark environment away from heat, such as your stove, top of your refrigerator or windowsill.
Anthony explains his method for storing his EVOO: “I try to stock plenty of Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil for cooking in my pantry, and hide the good bottles of EVOO in my wine rack (where it's cooler, and, more importantly, safer from getting knocked around in the pantry by two ravenous teenagers—and often their friends—scavenging for snacks at midnight. “
Many food experts recommend transferring small amounts of EVOO into smaller dark bottles or stainless steel containers to keep within easy reach of their stove. After a few days, they are refilled from a bulk container which is kept in an unheated pantry or closet or as in Anthony’s case, in his wine cellar.
Here is a tip from Anthony if you are planning to decant your EVOO from one large container into a smaller one. “I'm the guy who buys the 5-liter can of Frantoia EVOO from Sicily whenever I can get it on sale, and then refills all of the empty 1-liter bottles I hide in the back of the pantry—just like my grandmother. My tip is this: When refilling glass bottles with olive oil, leave them uncovered for a good hour or so to make sure all the tiny bubbles that form during the transfer from big can to small bottle rise to the top and dissipate. I learned this the hard way, of course, when a bottle that I tightly closed immediately after filling exploded from the pressure. It took days to clean up the aftermath.”
Before leaving this question, you should know that it is okay to store your bottle of olive oil in the refrigerator especially if you are going to be away for a while. It will solidify but once you bring it back to room temperature, it will liquify and not loose either its taste or health benefits.
5. EVOO serving suggestions
I saved the best part for last. We have already touched on how delicate oils are reserved for delicate food preparations and robust oils for robust one. But, what are some other interesting uses guaranteed to wow your friends?
Here’s a tip from Anthony: “It's certainly not a secret to make olive oil gelato, given that I fell in love with Mario Batali's version at Otto restaurant in New York City at least a decade ago. But there's a little gem of a restaurant in my neighborhood here in The Heights neighborhood of Jersey City called Corto where chef/owner Matt Moschella drizzles EVOO over ricotta gelato that still catches most of my friends by surprise.”
EVOO is also delicious served as they do in Spain for breakfast: Pan con tomate, a slice of grilled rustic bread rubbed with garlic and a ripe tomato, then topped with a pinch of sea salt and a hearty grinding of fresh black pepper along with a generous drizzle of EVOO. Or use it on a baked potato instead of butter and sour cream.
Don’t be afraid to fry with it either as EVOO is perfectly stable up to 420⁰F. This means you can use it for shallow frying whereas deep frying would be overkill. However, given how expensive EVOOs can be, reserve your more refined ones for garnishing dishes.
If you follow this blog, you’ve already seen that EVOO can be used in baking as well. The Torta di Nocciole from two weeks ago (Torta di Nocciole (Hazelnut cake) — Tarte Tatin Tales) is a good example.
To finish off this topic, as Paddy advised us, the best way to keep your EVOO fresh is to “Use them up.” And she likes to add in the same breath to so liberally and often.
Tony di Dio tells us that his grandfather Biagio would have a tablespoon of oil at night before bed. “And he lived to 97.....maybe I should consider this secret use.” Perhaps we all should! Whether you start your day with a dose as Maria Loi does or before saying goodnight, that’s your choice. Either way, it’s guaranteed to help keep you healthy.