Olive Oil TastingYou probably know that different grapes from different regions yield very different wines, but it may surprise you to learn that the same is true of olives and olive oils. In the Mediterranean and across the globe, local olives are pressed to create a wide range of oils, each with its own unique consistency and flavor. To explore the world of premium olive oils, consider inviting your food-loving friends over for an olive oil tasting event.
Chef Evan Kleiman is the owner of Los Angeles' much-imitated Angeli Caffe, a modern family restaurant serving light, simple and affordable food. She is also the author of several best-selling cookbooks, and is host of "Good Food," heard each Saturday morning at 11am on KCRW 89.9 fm, the second largest NPR station in the country. Here she offers ideas for hosting an olive oil tasting party:
- Find what you like.
Using olive oils is a matter of personal taste, so having an olive oil tasting can help you explore your own palate and let you discover which oils you really like.
- Think like a wine tasting.
When planning your tasting, just think like you're having a wine tasting, only buy bottles of olive oil instead of bottles of wine.
- Choose one region or many.
You can choose to taste oils from a specific region, like Tuscany. Pick three or four oils from that region, and compare their tastes. Or you can cross country lines and taste a single oil from each of three or four regions.
- Ignore color.
The most important thing, says Kleiman, is to let your guests know that they should not be influenced by the color. A tasting is about using your mouth, not your eyes. Professional tasters use blue glass so that they're completely unaffected by the color.
- Coat your mouth.
Pour a little bit of the olive oil into everyone's cup or glass. Sip the oil into your mouth, and completely coat the whole inside of your mouth with it.
- Don't use bread.
Many people taste olive oil by putting it on small pieces of bread, but Kleiman sees this as a mistake. The bread imparts its own flavor, so you won't taste the full profile of flavors inherent in a particular oil. It may seem severe, but to truly educate your palate and find what you like, you should taste the oil straight.
For more about olive oil, check out the following websites:
The Olive Oil Source
www.oliveoilsource.com
California Olive Oil Council
www.cooc.com
The European Olive Oil Medical Information Library
europa.eu.int
Olive Tree.cc
www.olivetree.cc
International Olive Oil Council
www.internationaloliveoil.org | 
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