Learning about extra virgin olive oil > Tasting an oil

Each taster, doubtful about empirical methods which are suggested to non-experts in the field, has his own technique and is officially regulated by current regulations; it would  certainly be helpful to follow these rules to help to isolate and identify the multiplicity of aspects of a virgin oil.

• • Look carefully at the oil holding it against the light, shaking it in its bottle in order to evaluate its fluidity;

• • Pour some, about a spoonful, into a glass; an excessive quantity would dull the taste instead of improving it;

• • Smell the sample, trying to capture all the pleasant or unpleasant sensations;

• • Warm the glass in the palm of the hand in order to vaporize the volatile aromatic compounds and enhance them; draw the oil into the mouth by sucking slowly at first then more vigorously in order to vaporize the oil in the oral cavity and bring it into direct contact with the taste buds;

• • Allow the mouth to rest a little, moving the tongue slowly against the palate;

• • Inspire again with the tongue against the palate and the lips slightly open;

• • Repeat from point n. 4 several times, and keep the oil in the mouth for at least 20 seconds;

• • Spit out the oil.

While continuing to move the tongue against the palate, carefully evaluate the retro-olfactive sensations.
The most important recommendation to be made to a novice is not to be in any hurry to spit out the oil, but to keep calm and try to memorize the greatest possible number of sensations. The first tastings will be extremely important to learn to familiarize with the vocabulary of merits and demerits, which is the ABC of the sensory analyst. It is useful to try to describe one’s sensations to other people with the aim of creating a common methodology for communication.
Do not try to isolate strange tastes in the oil, no-one will ever offer you a glass of oil; always remember that oil is a condiment and as such it has the function of complementing our foods.

A technical tasting session follows a few general rules of behaviour:

• • Do not smoke for at least 30 minutes before tasting

• • Do not use any perfume, soap or cosmetic product with a smell which lingers until the time of tasting.

• • Fast for at least an hour before tasting.

• • Be sure that one’s physiological and psychological conditions are positive, so as not to interfere with the test.

Vocabulary

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