Olive Oil
Pondering the Pantry --- Olive Oil Olive oil is basic on the shopping list, but there are numerous misunderstandings. When shopping the best quality is “extra virgin.” It must pass several tests --- acidity of not more than 0.8% and peroxides at less than 20 milli-equivalents per kilogram. So far, so good. Objective laboratory testing. Then comes the catch. Extra virgin olive oil must have an aroma or of taste of three types: bitter, peppery and fruity. That is a subjective determination made by a panel, and the determination is not absolute. There are grades of aroma and taste, thus dividing “extra virgin” into various qualities. Obviously you cannot walk down a supermarket aisle tasting olive oils. In addition few of us are really expert to evaluate oils. One solution requires a little bit of homework. In June the annual TerraOliva competition is held in Jerusalem, and dozens of olive oil are evaluated. See the web site. The results can be a good guide to purchases