It enhances our everyday sweet and savory recipes with its subtle flavors and sunny aromas. As you may have guessed, olive oil is in the spotlight today. While this Mediterranean elixir suffers from its image as a mass-market product, it has everything the greatest has to offer, provided it is chosen with care...
So which olive oil should you choose? Or rather, how do you choose the right olive oil? Choosing the right fruitiness and ensuring that a few quality criteria are respected, here are some tips for getting a good olive oil and embarking on a journey in the shade of the olive trees, lulled by the song of the cicadas.
Choosing your olive oil: Green fruity, ripe fruity or black fruity?
Depending on the level of ripeness at which the olives used to produce the oil are harvested, the latter will have a more or less pronounced flavor. This is referred to as the “fruitiness” of the olive oil. Just like wine, olive oil made with riper fruit will be smoother on the palate, and more full-bodied if the fruit is harvested earlier.
It is then up to each person to determine what intensity they are looking for in their olive oil, a choice that can vary according to tastes and recipes. There are 3 different fruity flavors as the olive matures:
- Green fruity is the characteristic of oils obtained from olives picked at the beginning of the season, from October. Green fruity oils are appreciated for their fresh and vegetal notes, as well as for their possible touch of bitterness, called “ardence”. These are the olive oils that have the highest antioxidant potential, thanks to their high polyphenol content. Green fruity olive oil will go wonderfully with your salads and dishes based on sunny vegetables during the summer, which it will awaken with its strong character.
- Ripe fruity is that of oils from olives picked when ripe, from November to December approximately. It is a particularly subtle and nuanced fruitiness, which owes its delicacy to pressure occurring quickly after picking. Thus, ripe olives do not have time to ferment outside the tree. Ripe fruity olive oil reveals all its nutty aromas when drizzled over a hot dish, but it will delight discerning palates on all types of dishes.
- Black fruity is obtained when olives, picked when ripe, are stored for a few days before undergoing their first pressing. This produces an olive oil with old-fashioned flavors, a rustic and authentic product, which often displays woody notes of mushroom, or even chocolate or vanilla for those who know how to listen to their taste buds… Black fruity olive oil will bring roundness and character to your fish, spicy dishes and winter recipes.
What Makes a Good Olive Oil
While the choice of fruitiness is a matter of individual preference, there are nevertheless certain objective criteria for knowing if an olive oil is of good quality.
First of all, choose extra virgin olive oils, made from a first cold pressing of olives, less than 24 hours after they are picked. Their aromas are more pronounced and their health benefits are increased.
Also make sure that olive oils from blends only contain quality olive varieties, or turn to oils made from a single variety of olives, or “monovarietals”.
To ensure the quality of the olives and their production, opt for olive oils stamped with a controlled designation of origin, such as an AOC Provence olive oil.
Finally, be aware that hand-harvested olives will produce more flavorful oils, as the fruit is only minimally altered before pressing.
Recipe idea: Risotto bianco with olive oil flavored with black truffle
Treat yourself to a trip to Lombardy with this recipe for risotto bianco, an iconic dish from Northern Italy. Rediscover the authentic flavors of this great classic by adding a deep, woody touch: olive oil flavored with black truffle.
Ingredients for two people:
- 150 g of risotto rice, preferably Arborio or Carnaroli variety
- 1 chicken stock cube or 1 liter of homemade stock
- 15 ml of culinary specialty olive oil flavored with black truffle 1%
- Half a large yellow onion
- 10 cl of white wine such as Chardonnay
- 15 grams of butter
- 100 grams of Pecorino Romano DOP (Grate half and cut the rest into shavings)
Procedure:
- In a saucepan, heat 1 liter of water and dilute the chicken stock in it.
- Thinly slice the half onion then brown it in a hot pan with a drizzle of classic extra virgin olive oil - or with a drizzle of truffle oil for a more pronounced taste - until it becomes translucent, but not colored.
- In the pan, pour the rice and stir for about a minute until the grains become slightly pearly.
- Pour in the white wine to deglaze, then let reduce.
- Pour a generous ladleful of hot stock over the rice-onion mixture, then cook over low heat, stirring regularly, before repeating the operation just before the rice has completely absorbed the stock. Repeat for 15 to 18 minutes. The rice is finished cooking when it is soft on the outside and slightly firm on the inside.
- While cooking, grate half of the Pecorino, then cut the rest into shavings. Set aside.
- Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir in the butter and grated Pecorino.
- Arrange in soup plates, sprinkle with Pecorino shavings, drizzle with black truffle olive oil, salt and pepper and serve immediately.
If your taste buds are awakened by reading this recipe, don't wait any longer to travel to the confines of the Mediterranean by discovering our oils & vinegars with delicate and authentic flavors, made from high-end ingredients.
