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<pre>Gareth,

I have just read your email on tasting and would like to correct you on one
point in particular. There are no IOOC accredited tasters. WE in Oz have a
tasting panel which is going for IOOC accreditation but that is only the
panel as a whole. We are just tasters on the panel. The accreditation is
only god for 12 months when you have to be retested again.

Also for the tasting your method is ok but usually the IOOC use blue glasses
so the colour of the oil can not be seen.

Hope this helps.

Regards
Carol


Olive Connection
13 Bogalara Road
Old Toongabbie NSW 2146
email: lheureux@zip.com.au
Tel: 61 2 9631 5776
Fax: 61 2 9636 4971
----- Original Message -----
From: "Gareth Renowden" <gareth@renowden.co.nz>
To: <OliveOil@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2001 9:12 AM
Subject: Re: [OliveOil] Tasting


> 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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</pre>
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