Cape Town - Count Francesco Miari Fulcis, owner of Laudemio Production at Fattoria di Maiano, a Tuscan wine and olive oil estate shares his top tips for tasting olive oil.
“When we taste an extra virgin olive oil it's very important to firstly pour the oil into a glass, keeping it warm by cupping the glass and covering it with the other hand over the top. Then slowly rotate in a horizontal manner so that the oil will move in a gentle way inside the glass. Next take your hand away from the top of the glass,” explains Count Fulcis.
He adds that next one should smell the extra virgin olive oil. If it is a good you will pick up notes of green grass. If the oil is not good you will get the smell of old fruit, and everything that is reminiscent of fermentation.
“Follow this with a taste of the extra virgin olive oil and at the same time breathe in some oxygen so the extra virgin olive oil will have an explosion of flavour.” If the oil is good it will be light and spicy in the mouth. It should leave your mouth clean after a few minutes. If the olive oil is bad you will taste fat and rancid, it won't leave the mouth clean.
These are 4 basic steps to taste test extra virgin olive oil.
To experience Trafalgar's Be My Guest olive oil tasting and dinner with Count Fulcis join the 10 day At Leisure Great Italian Cities guided holiday.
This is priced from R21 691 per person sharing (inclusive of a 7.5 percent early payment discount) and valid for bookings before August 31, 2015.
To book contact your ASATA travel agent or Trafalgar on (011) 280 8440. Visit www.trafalgar.comfor more information and follow us on social media by using the #trafalgarinsider hashtag.
Adapted from a press release for IOL