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<pre>on 3/3/01 9:19 PM, Chatterton Brian at tn7685@orvienet.it wrote:

> The wine industry is a good example of high standard of professional
> tasting but also demonstrates its rigidity. [snip] The
> professional judges assesment has sunk without trace while the popular vote
> has been the basis for an enormous expansion of NZ wine exports to the UK.

Good points, Brian. So let's suggest that Cuisine have two tasting panels -
one made up of "professionals" (and by that term, I mean people who know how
to taste oil properly - know the protocols and procedures - as with
wine-tasting, there is a very definite skill that has to be learnt), and one
made up of consumers, allowed to choose the oils they like. That would be
very interesting, and a lot more informative than the current article. It
could be that experienced tasters will prefer the more refined (peppery)
oils, while consumers will prefer milder flavours: in my experience in NZ,
however, so few people have tasted real fresh extra virgin olive oil that
they are blown away by the stuff before beginning to worry about nuances.
That will come later, when we have a more educated market.

I could refer people to the chapter in my book on tasting and using oil, but
the group might prefer me to outline what I regard as "the right way" to
taste oil.

The oil should be presented for tasting in a small glass or plastic cup. You
cover the cup with one hand and cradle it in the other. Swirl the oil around
the glass: you're trying to warm it up to release the aroma components in
the oil. After a minute or two, take a deep sniff and recover the glass/cup
with your hand. Take another sniff or two, as necessary.

To taste the oil, make a little "cup" with your tongue behind your lower
front teeth. Pour some oil into this "cup", then suck air between your teeth
and over the oil; this makes a rather inelegant slurping sound. The oil
should spray around inside your mouth (if it hits the back of your throat,
you may splutter uncontrollably). Finally, roll the oil around your mouth
and swallow.

The "technique" is simple enough: designed to allow the taster to get as
much information about the oil as possible. Educating the palate to identify
all the various flavour components takes longer to learn - but as with
wine-tasting, it can be done.

OK: that's my two penn'orth (two cents worth, in the new money). There are
IOOC-accredited tasters in this group: can you add/correct anything?
--
Gareth Renowden, Limestone Hills, New Zealand
Words, olives and truffles
Office +64 (0)3 355 9552 Home +64 (0)3 314 9921
Mobile 025 790 070
"And when I find my trousers, I'll find my feet" (Viv Stanshall)
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