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PRACTICAL ADVICE
Olive
oil grading follows international quality standards according to
the method of production, the level of acidity and basic organic
characteristics. Special testers check the taste and smell of an
oil. Taste and smill, in connection with color, are the three
areas checked by international testers in assessing the quality
level of a product. Fluidity and a harmonious – balanced
relationship between the characteristics of the oil, are used to
form a final evaluation.
COLOR
Color does not always prove the quality of
an oil. A good oil can be from green to golden yellow. It can
even seem cloudy if it has not settled yet. As color is not a
sure sign of quality, experts test olive oil in dark blue and
not transparent glasses. The color of the product depends on the
main substances of the olive fruit that the oil has been made
from. If chlorophyll is the main factor, then the oil will lean
more towards the color green. If carotene is the main substance,
then the oil will be more golden yellow. Olives which are
gathered at the beginning of the harvesting period, usually
produce oil of a greener color, due to the chlorophyll they
contain.
TASTE & SMELL
Olive oil reminiscent of the scent either
of fruit or of oil fresh from pressing is believed to be
excellent. This is the same with wine as testers try to pinpoint
pleasant smells which remind them of other products, such as
fruit, like apples or nuts, etc.
A bitter or slightly bitter taste shows
that the olives used were not ripe when picked. A pleasant smell
and taste can also be put down to the area in which the olives
grew and the way they were cultivated. A fruit taste comes from
ripe olives which have balanced characteristics. Olive oil with
an unpleasant smell and taste is better avoided. Smelling soil
or mould down-grade a product. It can be seen then that
experience is needed for someone to safely assess an oil.
ACIDITY
The degree of acidity in olive oil
indicates the oleic acid content. It is believed to be edible,
according to the International Olive Oil Council, when the
acidity does not exceed 3.3 degrees (content of oleic acid
3.3%). In reality, olive oil which has an acidity level of no
more than one is much better. You should always read the label
on an olive oil bottle to see the degree of the acidity. In
Greece, there is excellent olive oil with acidity less than 0.5
degrees! The degree of acidity greatly affects the taste.
OXIDIZATION
Oxidization (rancidity) is one of the most
important causes of spoiling olive oil. Conditions of storage
(light, oxygen etc) help oxidization. This is easily spotted by
a tester without scientific tests, as the taste is badly
affected by oxidization. Olive oil producers can distinguish
good quality from rancid oil, after years of experience. As they
say, “the oil got rancid and smells like soil”. On Crete, they
identify the smell of rancid olive oil with the smell of soil.
Similarly, at Kalavryta of the Peloponnese they say “the oil is
not good because it nips the tongue.”
Oxidization reduces or destroys the basic
components in olive oil, especially those which are unique to
this produce, in contrast to all the other fat substances. It
can destroy the fat-soluble vitamins or the fatty acids such as
linoleic and linolenic but it can also produce substances which
are dangerous for the human body.
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