How to Taste Olive Oil

We are not used to tasting olive oil before using it, but this is the only way to know its qualities and understand its profile. And it's not complicated! Here are the four steps to follow, a process quite similar to that used for tasting wine.

01. Pour the oil into a suitable glass

Count to five when pouring the olive oil into the tasting glass. Glasses suitable for tasting olive oil are ideally small, rounded and dark in order not to be influenced by the colour of the oil, which does not actually affect taste. A rounded wine glass also works!

02. Warm up the oil in your hand

Place the glass in the palm of your hand and cover the top with your other hand. Heat the olive oil by turning the palm over and over, gently swirling the oil. Warming up the oil will release the aromas.

03. Smell the aromas

Remove your hand from the upper part of the glass and smell the aromas that emerge. The type (ripe or green) and intensity of the oil fruitiness can be perceived, as can the dominant aromas (herbaceous, floral, etc.)

04. Taste the oil

Put a little oil in your mouth. Let the oil cover the different parts of your tongue and palate and finally suck in a little air between your teeth - this is the famous stripaggio! (see video) At this stage you will be able to assess the oil bitterness and pungency.

Video with Nicholas Coleman

Here is a short tasting session with Nicholas Coleman, a renowned "oleologist" from New York, who trained us a few years ago!