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<pre>in Syria they have a spcial way of making olive oil that taste sweet
(no betternes) very mild and very dark green i have never tasted any
thing like it in my life they call it (Kherrage)they prosses it
deferently than the normaly they boil it and then sun dry it and
then the press it after that they boil water and pour the oil in it
to clean it.

Does anyone know the quality of this oil after this prosses

Jabber
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<pre>Jabber

The method you describe for making Kherrage would be completely
contradictory to the modern methods of making a good quality extra virgin
oil.

To produce an oil of naturally low acidity, and one that will remain at a
low acidity for a long time, you need to start off with fresh olives. Any
drying or heating of the olives prior to pressing the oil will lead to a
loss of or change in the natural flavour compounds and antioxidants, and
will cause an increase in the free fatty acidity of the oil (the primary
measure of the quality of an oil).

The treatment of the oil with boiling water will further damage the oil, and
dissolve out any remaining polyphenols (and vitamins). It will denature or
destroy many of the minor flavour compounds in the oil. The polyphenols play
a major role in preserving the oil, and preventing it from oxidizing over
time.

Having said that, one must bear in mind that many people do not like the
strong piquant (peppery), throat-catching taste of fresh low-acid extra
virgin olive oil (the 2- and 3-cough oils), and actually prefer the milder
taste of an aged (somewhat oxidized) oil.

So there are 2 options for those that like the "sweeter", milder oils of a
specific cultivar. Either wait, and let the oil mature and become milder in
time, or assist this process of "sweetening" the oil by means of hot water
treatments, etc., as in Kherrage.

However, the keeping quality of these sweeter oils will be limited due to
the loss or destruction of the natural antioxidants. One could do a simple
acidity determination to verify whether this oil would actually qualify as
Extra Virgin in terms of the chemical definition of EVOO (assuming the
absence of taste defects). My own feeling is that such oils would be Virgin,
tending in time towards Lampante. But, not having tasted a Syrian oil, this
is pure speculation on my part.

The dark green colour is probably as a result of the diffusion of the
chlorophyll compounds into the oil at the high temperature, or due to some
other heat-induced transformation.

Does anyone have any qualitative information on Kherrage oils? It's the
first I hear of them.

Regards,

Guido
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<pre>This method, boiling and then drying prior to pressing, was mentioned to
me by some contacts in northern Jordan. Others mentioned smoking the
olives prior to pressing as well.

Peter Warnock

On Thu, 15 Nov 2001 yanni58@hotmail.com wrote:

> in Syria they have a spcial way of making olive oil that taste sweet
> (no betternes) very mild and very dark green i have never tasted any
> thing like it in my life they call it (Kherrage)they prosses it
> deferently than the normaly they boil it and then sun dry it and
> then the press it after that they boil water and pour the oil in it
> to clean it.
>
> Does anyone know the quality of this oil after this prosses
>
> Jabber
>
>
>
>
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>

--
Peter Warnock
Dept. of Anthropology
Swallow Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211
(573) 443-4203
(573) 884-5450 (fax)
pjwd29@mizzou.edu
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