Bitterness and pungency, two essential qualities of a good extra virgin olive oil

Antequera/Extra virgin olive oil is one of the most valued foods in the market for its health benefits. However, despite Spain being the world's major producer, there is significant lack of knowledge about the qualities a good oil should have.

In fact, according to experts, the general taste of consumers often does not match the characteristics that a olive oil considered premium should have, although they are now very fashionable in the gastronomic sector and in some places tastings are even held.

Indeed, two qualities such as spiciness and bitterness are essential in a top-quality oil. However, there should be a balance between them so that the palate can feel pleasant.

“It has to be balanced in bitterness and spiciness in the mouth, it is true that we might not like this aspect very much, but a good oil has to be bitter and spicy,” stated José María Horcas, head of the panel at Grupo Dcoop.

Moreover, Horcas assured that “it must have a good fruitiness which translates into aromas that remind us of the olive from which it comes or fresh grass due to its greenness, all at a medium-high intensity will make that oil much better”.

Horcas himself acknowledged that the general consumer is usually not used to these oils, but “they have to try it, we have never tried it because we always take normal oils that are milder, but a good oil has to be fruity, bitter, and spicy”.

And this specialist is clear about it, so he pointed out that “the better an oil is, the more benefits we obtain for our body”. Therefore, he believes it is worth getting used to the palate to these qualities of a top-quality oil.

On the other hand, although it is usual that a more intense green usually goes hand in hand with a higher quality oil, this is not always the case. “It is likely that a greener oil is better than a yellower one, but you cannot know without tasting it because it may have some defect in its production,” he pointed out.

In fact, specialists in their tastings by the defects they detect can even know what problem occurred, whether the olive did not arrive well at the mill or some type of error was made in the facilities that could harm it.

Regarding the early olive harvest, which in some cases is already done in August, Horcas explained that “that olive picked in August is an essence, it's like perfumes, there's cologne water and then the essence”.

However, there is indeed an optimal time for its collection, which is when the olive changes color. However, in large-scale productions, it is complex to carry out the collection across the entire area at the same time, entering here the skill of the farmer to combine the moments of each area to achieve a homogeneous set. In fact, combinations can later be made between greener oils, optimal point, and more mature ones to produce a well-rounded oil that the consumer demands.

Another aspect he is clear about is that olive oil has the best performance in frying.