Discovering The Joys Of Olive Oils

September 23, 2004|By Faye Levy Tribune Media Services

Olive oil consumption in the United States has skyrocketed in recent decades. In the past 20 years, imports have increased sevenfold.

It's not surprising that this precious liquid is the signature ingredient of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern kitchens, since the olive tree has such deep roots in the region.

The Bible says an olive branch brought by a dove signaled Noah that the flood was over and that God was no longer angry. Thus, it became the symbol of peace.

Anne Dolamore writes in The Essential Olive Oil Companion (Interlink, 2000) that olive oil was probably first cultivated by a Semitic race in Syria 6,000 years ago, since records show that ancient Palestine was famous for its olive groves and exported oil to the Egyptians.

Yet olive oil has become a primary flavoring in the United States and other countries far from its native territory. Its health-promoting virtues are greatly responsible for the dizzying climb in consumption. Olive oil is linked with heart health because it contains a high percentage of mono-unsaturated fats. Finally, we have a fat that experts say is good for us ... in moderation, of course.

We can choose from an impressive array. Extra-virgin olive oil is the finest and most flavorful. To receive this designation by the International Olive Oil Council, it must be cold pressed, so that its natural flavor is not altered by heating. The flavor must be perfect and the acidity level below 1 percent. (Some bottles, but not all, specify acidity level.) Virgin olive oil, which is less available than extra-virgin, is not as high in quality.

Labels matter

Bottles labeled simply "olive oil" are the most common and sometimes the least expensive. This oil is a combination of refined and extra-virgin oil. Peggy Knickerbocker, author of Olive Oil: From Tree to Table (Chronicle, 1997), recommends it for "sauteing, baking or frying, or whenever high heat is applied in cooking, and when the distinct flavor of olive oil is not vital to the outcome of a dish." Other cooks prefer extra-virgin oil for everything.

Mediterranean olive oil makers have had plenty of time to perfect their techniques. The styles are different at both ends of the region and within specific countries, due to olive varieties, soil, climate and local preferences. Yet the distinctions are not clear-cut. Fruity oils with a good fragrance of olives have become increasingly popular in the United States.

Tasting olive oil is a lot like tasting wine, and you can use some of the same descriptive terms. The oil might be fruity from the flavor of ripe olives. The taste might recall almonds, apples or cucumbers. Or it might be harsh or astringent, like wine that is too young. The oil might have a "green" flavor, if the olives were not very ripe or if leaves were pressed with them. There is color to consider, too. Deeper green oils may be more assertive than pale golden ones.

When leading a tasting of Tuscan olive oils, look for bitterness, a natural characteristic of olives, and pungency, a peppery quality that can make you cough as you sip the oil.

As with wine, tasting many oils is not easy. Three or four is a good number to begin with. Although sipping the oil eliminates intruding flavors, dipping bread in it makes tasting easier and more fun. A neutral, unsweetened bread such as a French baguette (not sourdough) works well.

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