Hi All,

I thought you might be interested in hearing the experience of Julie and
myself.

We were fortunate enough to invited to the first official course run in
South Africa on Olive Oil Grading.

It was run by Dr. Luciano Scarselli from Tuscany and followed the format
that they use to train the testers who do the official grading of Olive Oils
in Tuscany.

He brought with him a selection of oils from all over, both good, bad and
very bad.

The main thrust of the course was to get us to start distinguishing the
various smells and tastes that they use to do their grading and that in
itself was quite a daunting process. We had to start learning a complete new
vocabulary of descriptions e.g.

The bad characteristics are classified as follows

Winey
Coarse
Metallic
Mouldy
Dreggy
Fusty
Rancid

Some of them are obvious and some not, for example "Fusty" took us a while
until he produced a sample specifically formulated to demonstrate this smell
(Old Socks is the closest I can use to describe it)

We also had to learn various other smells such as Cucumber (An oil that has
been too long in a tin)

The other challenge was to keep our palettes working after tasting 15 oils
in a day. As one member of the coarse put it we were "Well Oiled" by the end
of the day.

If there is sufficient interest I would be happy to put together a brief
overview of the course and the things we were taught, others in the now
would be welcome to contribute and comment. It could be useful and
interesting to those who would like to know more about how to taste in a
more structured way.

We are now planning to get a small group together to go to Italy and get
more thoroughly trained so that we can have a panel operating in South
Africa that can provide a grading for the oils that we produce.

It was very interesting for us to try the oils that the trainer brought with
him, and despite his obvious bias for the Tuscan oils he was quite
complementary about the South African oils that we provided for him to
taste.

Let me know if you would like me to put something together in more detail

Regards

Mike and Julie (Novice - partially trained oil tasters)

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<pre>Mike and Julie,

Thank you for your message. Please count me in as one who would like to
learn more.

Dan (Burnet)

PS From Australia, if our email address didn't give it away!
</pre>
</td></tr></table>

> Winey
> Coarse
> Metallic
> Mouldy
> Dreggy
> Fusty
> Rancid
>
Some of these I can recognise from the similar course I have done
here
(Richard Gawell, of South Aust and member of organoleptic panel), but
I cannot remember "Dreggy" not even with a South African accent can I
make sense of this one. And "Coarse" sounds like a description of a
TV
show rather than an oil. I'd like more details of the "definitions"
of
these two.

> Some of them are obvious and some not, for example "Fusty" took us
a
while until he produced a sample specifically formulated to
demonstrate this smell (Old Socks is the closest I can use to
describe
it

Oh, Yum!!! I cannot remember the exact smell, but that sounds about
right.

One of the problems with "imported" experts is that they have, and
are
quite adamant about, their own preferences for oils from their own
region. Possibly because they have been brought up with those oils,
and thus believe them to be better. (I have an acquaintance who
insists that Kalamata are the "one true olive". No prizes for
guessing her heritage ...)

Thanks for the message, sets one to thinking.

John Attwood
Oxley Olive Co-operative

I would, Judy.

Kaye Noble

Dear John:

You are absolutely right in your comments about
organoleptic characteristics of olive oil.

On your second point, however, I think that regional
ethnic cuisine styles develop around and adapt to the
food products that each region produces. I always
recommend to my clients that they use different olive
oils that match the dish that they are preparing. Ask
your acquaintance if her favorite cuisine is Greek. I
think that you may already know her answer.

Best regards,


=====
Constantine Alexander

olive tree artificial plant palm at OliveTree.cc

Where Olive Oil is a Passion

Yahoo! Groups
"Olio nuovo e vino vecchio"

The olive all tasting courses all sound very interesting. However, they all
seem to be concerned with tasting for extra virgin or virgin status where it
is important to recognise the faults in the oils.

No one has mentioned the pleasant taste attributes of the different olive
oils - very relevant maybe to Stans course for foodies and those interested
in good food.

In 1993 I was commissioned by the then EEC to write a paper on Taste and
Flavour in Olive Oil and part of the paper was concerned with building a
vocabularly for talking about the good flavour attributes of olive oils. It
is still available in some university libraries.

However, the now EU has commissioned me to rewrite and update the paper in
the light of modern research. I have just completed the paper and it has
gone to Brussels for the bureaucratic seal of approval. I expect it to be
published sometime early to Spring next year.

If anyone would like copies of the paper when it is issued please let me
know.

Part of my credentials as a taster is the fact that I sit on the judging
panel for the Italian Leone d'Oro international awards for olive oil run by
the Mastri Oleari or Oil Masters Corporation in Italy. I have been on the
panel for the last five years and will be joining it again in March this
year.

Back to the bad quality oil - my own aide memoire for fusty oil is the taste
of table olives which have been left out all night after a party. Very
nasty! But old socks will certainly do.

Judy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stan Kailis" <kailis@ca.com.au>
To: <OliveOil@egroups.com>
Sent: 24 November 2000 22:30
Subject: Re: [OliveOil] Olive oil tasting course


Dear Mike and Julie (sorry mistake in the first email)

Could you please send me an outline of your a olive tasting course.

We at the University are planning our 2001 Calendar. Provisional
activities include

¥ Olive oil appreciation evenings aimed at the public, foodies and
beginners - Mediterranean food and local evo olive oils for tasting -
several during the year

¥ Olive Panel Tasters Course to IOOC standard - Trainer from Pescara -
February
¥ Australian Table Olive Production Manual - Several workshops around
Australia - February -April
¥ Table Olives: Getting Started - April
¥ Scientific and Cultural Symposium - New Norcia - Bread, Olive and Wine
- July
¥ Olive Oil: Getting Started - Chemical tests and tasting - October

The dates have not been set as yet and months are approximate at this
stage.

Stan kailis

Dear Judy:

Thank you for your kind offer.

Please send me a copy of your paper at my e-mail
address or if you prefer slow mail (I would love to
cover mailing costs-please advise) please mail it to:

Constantine Alexander
Papa's Haven
273 Elm Street
Noank, CT 06340
USA
Tel./fax/voice mail: +1-860-536-5297

Thank you once again.

Very truly yours,

=====
Constantine Alexander

Dear All

Dreggy may refer to sediment - this can develop when olive oil settles

Stan Kailis
</pre>

Judy,

Could you please add me to the list of those who would like a copy of your
paper when published. My fax no. is +61 741 686 155.

Many thanks,

Dan
(JW Burnet)

Dear Mike and Julie (sorry mistake in the first email)

Could you please send me an outline of your a olive tasting course.

We at the University are planning our 2001 Calendar. Provisional
activities include

¥ Olive oil appreciation evenings aimed at the public, foodies and
beginners - Mediterranean food and local evo olive oils for tasting -
several during the year

¥ Olive Panel Tasters Course to IOOC standard - Trainer from Pescara -
February
¥ Australian Table Olive Production Manual - Several workshops around
Australia - February -April
¥ Table Olives: Getting Started - April
¥ Scientific and Cultural Symposium - New Norcia - Bread, Olive and Wine
- July
¥ Olive Oil: Getting Started - Chemical tests and tasting - October

The dates have not been set as yet and months are approximate at this
stage.

Stan kailis