Wednesday, May 19, 2010
An Education in Olive Oil
Posted by Susan Ellis on Wed, May 19, 2010 at 6:53 PM
At last night's olive oil tasting on the rooftop of the Madison Hotel, Bill Sanders, of Tunisian Olive Oil, began by noting the three-step process.
Sanders poured small cups of Riviere d'Or and handed them out.
First, a swirl and then a sniff to detect the fruity aroma.
Next, you sip it to taste for bitterness.
Finally, it's a suck through the teeth to get a note of pepper.
That direct slug of olive oil was ... oily, but Sanders had made his point.
Sanders also noted the bottle's "harvest date," important for knowing how fresh the oil is. Basically, Sanders said that a bottle of oil should be used within 30 days of purchase, maybe 60, or it will probably go rancid. (That's where the sniffing comes in too. A whiff of nail polish or paint thinner means it's time to toss it.)
And, he added that cheaper is never better — nothing under $6.99. The higher the price the more healthy polyphenols. Of domestic brands he recommends Newman's Own.
Also attending the tasting were neighbors and friends Terri Murphy and Elizabeth Novick.
"It's like how you don't know bad wine until you have good wine," Murphy said of olive oil.
When asked how she came to have so much olive oil knowledge, Murphy explained, "I'm Italian."
Both Murphy and Novick travel extensively and have tasted a lot of olive oils. Murphy's favorite is Argan from Morocco. Novick said that whenever she sees a new brand at Schnucks she'll give it a try.
Comments (4)
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30 days before it goes rancid? Dude, clean up your kitchen. It will last a lot longer than that if you keep it clean, sealed and in the dark. I've only had a bottle go rancid once.
The best olive oil I've ever had was made in California. It was like $40 for a little bitty bottle, but Oh My God.
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OMG, if you buy fresh and local, as in California EVOO, it will last 1-2 yrs if you store it properly. The truth is 90% of the cheap imports are already rancid when you buy them. That had to have been what you were referring to, I hope! And how can you be recommending Newman's Own, when there are so many great small producers in Calif (and Texas) that have the utmost integrity in the olive oil they produce - all fresh, high in polyphenols, with incredible aroma and flavor. Not sure where you're coming from?
We recommend using our olive oil within 3 months (90 days) after opening the bottle. This is more a rule of thumb to guide purchasing rather than a "use by" time frame. Essentially, we recommend buying your olive oil quarterly. Our olive oil would not go rancid for a LONG time, yet the flavor will diminish as the oil oxidizes.
We're by far California's oldest olive oil producer: http://www.sciabica.com
The event at the Madison Hotel was the 'Taste of Tunisia' as part of the Memphis in May Salute to Tunisia. The venue was appropriate for introducing guests to Tunisian olive oil --- which is what we paid to experience and learn about. Memphis in May organizers would have done their month long "Salute to Tunisia" a disservice if they hosted a 'Taste of Tunisa' and presented domestic olive oils. Good job, Memphis in May, for going global and bringing it home. Thanks for the lovely evening at the Madison - the Tunisian tasting was fantastic. Here's a great, recent article about Tunisian olive oil from CNN http://bit.ly/bjgtPP
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