|
by Barbara Penny Angelakis
In recent years there has been a proliferation of high-priced specialty food stores with an exponential increase in handsomely packaged and presented gourmet products to fill their shelves. And, in yet another case of which came first the chicken or the egg, a corresponding increase in epicures with the means to seek out and demand quality products, insisting on excellence over quantity. This explosion in luxury purchases requires that the purchaser has the ability to discern, which brings me to the purpose of this article: gourmet, cold and/or first pressed, extra virgin olive oil.
Unless you live under a rock you have taken part in or at least heard of wine tastings, but have you yet experienced an olive oil tasting? It’s relatively similar to a wine tasting in that you are presented with a variety of samples to compare the colors, aromas, texture and flavor. They are served in specialty stem less glasses or small glass bowls which fit into the palm of your hand. You warm the glass in one palm to release the oil’s essence while holding the other hand on top to trap the aroma. The top hand is lifted and, as with wine, you insert your nose in the glass to inhale the oil’s bouquet, noting what herbs or flower’s scents the olives have absorbed from the area in which the trees were grown. After swirling and smelling, you taste a small quantity of the oil with a loud sipping sound, making sure to allow as much air to mix with the oil as possible, and note the body, flavor, and texture of the oil. Many connoisseurs look for the peppery undertone from the olives. But of course, to quote a well known Latin proverb “de gustibus et coloribus non est disptandum” (there should be no dispute over matters of taste and color).
My initial olive oil tasting was hosted by EAT – European Authentic Tastes – at a charming restaurant and wine bar called UVA on the upper east side in Manhattan. Chef Claudio Meneghini presented a variety of finger foods, cheeses and wines, all produced from authentic European Union products. Olive oil connoisseur Daniel Granke was our knowledgeable guide, steering the group through the tasting with titillating tidbits of facts and specific information relating to the oil producing areas in the samples set out before us. Climate and terrain influence olive trees in  the same manner that they do grape vines, so it’s important to read labels of origin to understand the growing conditions that created your olive oils of preference (for description of EAT terms refer to the European Tastes article).
Featured at the tasting were Siurana, PDO, Spain, a grassy, peppery slightly bitter flavored oil; Romanico, Organic Farming, Spain, a smooth, creamy almost buttery oil; Baena, PDO & Organic Farming, Spain, a lemony, earthy oil with a slight bitter bite on the palate; Ribatejo, PDO, Portugal, olivey aroma with dense texture, heavier body and fruity flavor; Hania Crete, PGI, Greece, green apples and spicy nose, sharp rich taste; Sitia Lasithi Crete, PDO, Greece, smooth oil with rich flavor and exceptional quality, a classic salad oil; Vallée des Baux-de-Provence, PDO, France, an excellent buttery fruity delicate oil, also a classic salad oil; Valli Trapanesi, PDO, Italy, very green color, fruity aroma with peppery tone and bitter bite; Umbria, PDO, Italy, flavorful oil with herbal tones; and finally Steirisches Kurbiskernol, PGI, Austria, a pumpkin seed oil that has a very distinct aroma of roasted almonds and walnuts and nutty flavor and is used primarily to add a finishing touch of just a few drops to soups, sauces, and breads.
The subtle variations in density, taste, color, and aroma were discernible with some of the oils light enough to be used to dress salads and others bold enough to hold up to cooking. The one thing to remember when cooking with olive oil is that heat alters the chemical composition of all foods and oil is no exception. With olive oil, only moderate heat can safely be used, requiring that foods be cooked for longer periods of time. Olive oil should never be used for hot, fast cooking but can instead be used to finish off and enhance the flavor of fried or flash sautéed vegetables, meats, and fish.
The educated consumer has a better chance of making wise choices in purchasing with the payback of achieving their ultimate goal… superb meals.
© April 2007 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
|
