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<pre>Hi,

A newbie question. When one takes someone a sample of oil to have
them taste it, what is the most common way someone will do the
tasting?

Thanks, Nico
</pre>
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<pre>Hallo Nico,

Having just returned from a panel-tasting training, they maintain a sequence
of:
Perception of positive attributes (fruity, bitter, pungent)
Perception of defects (fusty, musty, winey, muddy, metallic, rancid, other)
through smelling/tasting.
Being a wine student, it puzzled me to have to ignore colour!

Greetings, Hans

-------Original Message-------

From: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 05:12:10
To: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [OliveOil] most common way to do tasting

Hi,

A newbie question. When one takes someone a sample of oil to have
them taste it, what is the most common way someone will do the
tasting?

Thanks, Nico



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<pre>Nico,
I believe that you were asking how to do the tasting, so ...

pour a small amount of oil into a glass, hold in the palm of one hand
and cover with the palm of the other hand. Now swirl the oil around in
the glass. The idea is to keep the oil in the glass and to warm it
slightly (to about body temperature). Then smell the oil. If there is an
unpleasant smell, the oil is not very good at all, and should probably
not be tasted.

Take a small sip, swirl around the mouth and then try to "slurp" some
air through the oil while it is in the mouth. This aerates the oil and
releases some of the flavours into the mouth cavity.

Then swallow the oil. If there is a "catch" in the throat, that is an
indicator of pungency (also called pepperiness)..

The whole experience should be pleasant. If one of the areas (taste,
smell and pungency) is unpleasant - either because there is too much of
anything or too little - the oil is not good, for you.

As in all things, the quality of an oil is largely a matter of personal
taste, but there are training courses that you can attend if youwant to
become profficient in the methods of assessment of oils. As someone
whose taste buds have been totally wrecked by a number of decades of ill
treatment, I have tried, not been terrifically successful, and enjoyed
the experience.

Hope this answers the original enquiry.

BTW, the colour of oil is irrelevant to the quality. The age of the
fruit and the treatment of them after harvest are determinants of this.

John Attwood
Tamworth
(Northern) NSW Au
hs pravida wrote:

> Hallo Nico,
>
> Having just returned from a panel-tasting training, they maintain a
> sequence
> of:
> Perception of positive attributes (fruity, bitter, pungent)
> Perception of defects (fusty, musty, winey, muddy, metallic, rancid,
> other)
> through smelling/tasting.
> Being a wine student, it puzzled me to have to ignore colour!
>
> Greetings, Hans
>
> -------Original Message-------
>
> From: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 05:12:10
> To: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [OliveOil] most common way to do tasting
>
> Hi,
>
> A newbie question. When one takes someone a sample of oil to have
> them taste it, what is the most common way someone will do the
> tasting?
>
> Thanks, Nico
>
>
>
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>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
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<pre>RE- SENT

-------Original Message-------

From: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Date: Thursday, December 12, 2002 09:08:42
To: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [OliveOil] most common way to do tasting

Hallo Nico,

Having just returned from a panel-tasting training, they maintain a sequence
of:
Perception of positive attributes (fruity, bitter, pungent)
Perception of defects (fusty, musty, winey, muddy, metallic, rancid, other)
through smelling/tasting.
Being a wine student, it puzzled me to have to ignore colour!

Greetings, Hans

-------Original Message-------

From: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 05:12:10
To: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [OliveOil] most common way to do tasting

Hi,

A newbie question. When one takes someone a sample of oil to have
them taste it, what is the most common way someone will do the
tasting?

Thanks, Nico



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..

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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<pre>Hi Hans,

I would like make the following contribution to the topic you are raising:

the colour can be due to the variety and also to the geographical location,
but it changes as the oil gets older or damadged. So one should not be
prejudice judging an unknown oil by it's color.

But if you are familiar with an oil of a certain area and variety then
checking the color can be very helpful. E.g. Our oil (from the Peloponnese
and Koroneiki olives) is grass-green when pressed and has a golden colour a
year later. Exposed to light olive oil looses any colour if you wait long
enough. It becomes like water. Then do not dare to taste it any more :-)
On our web-site you might find helpful articles concerning the above also in
German language.

All the best, Fritz

__________________________
Fritz Blaeuel
Pyrgos Lefktrou
24024 Kalamata, Greece
Tel. +30-7210-77711, Fax: -77590
email: fb@...
Our web site: http://www.blauel.gr/
</pre>
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<pre>Reading this note, I was more curious of how the actual tasting takes place.
Do you taste with a spoon? With Bread?
Do you spit?
What is the process?



-----Original Message-----
From: hs pravida [mailto:hspsafari@...]
Sent: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 6:33 AM
To: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [OliveOil] most common way to do tasting

Hallo Nico,

Having just returned from a panel-tasting training, they maintain a sequence
of:
Perception of positive attributes (fruity, bitter, pungent)
Perception of defects (fusty, musty, winey, muddy, metallic, rancid, other)
through smelling/tasting.
Being a wine student, it puzzled me to have to ignore colour!

Greetings, Hans

-------Original Message-------

From: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, December 11, 2002 05:12:10
To: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [OliveOil] most common way to do tasting

Hi,

A newbie question. When one takes someone a sample of oil to have
them taste it, what is the most common way someone will do the
tasting?

Thanks, Nico



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.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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<pre>Hallo Fritz,

Thank you for your points.
I hope you get a copy of my tinted-glass story to Nico.
I certainly shall study your German web site whilst shivering it out up here


Regards, Hans

-------Original Message-------

From: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, December 13, 2002 06:47:52
To: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [OliveOil] most common way to do tasting

Hi Hans,

I would like make the following contribution to the topic you are raising:

the colour can be due to the variety and also to the geographical location,
but it changes as the oil gets older or damadged. So one should not be
prejudice judging an unknown oil by it's color.

But if you are familiar with an oil of a certain area and variety then
checking the color can be very helpful. E.g. Our oil (from the Peloponnese
and Koroneiki olives) is grass-green when pressed and has a golden colour a
year later. Exposed to light olive oil looses any colour if you wait long
enough. It becomes like water. Then do not dare to taste it any more :-)
On our web-site you might find helpful articles concerning the above also in
German language.

All the best, Fritz

__________________________
Fritz Blaeuel
Pyrgos Lefktrou
24024 Kalamata, Greece
Tel. +30-7210-77711, Fax: -77590
email: fb@...
Our web site: http://www.blauel.gr/



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</pre>
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<pre>Good day Bob,

Thank you for your valuable comments on that question of colour.
I am only a reasonable wine student and did get the impression that in the
marketing of oil consumers see the colour first - before they make their
choice or read that fancy label.(Other than price).

Greetings, Hans



-------Original Message-------

From: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Date: Friday, December 13, 2002 06:48:01
To: OliveOil@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [OliveOil] most common way to do tasting

Hans,
If you were a good wine student, like ours, you would know that wine does
not generally contain significant amounts of chlorophyll (the green in
leaves, fruit). Therefore wine does not change colour because of the
breakdown of the chlorophyll from green to brown/yellow pigments. Olive oil
does.

The degree of green in fresh oil can easily be changed by adding more
leaves. If it were a quality parameter it could thus easily be adjusted by
adding chlorophyll extract or leaves during processing. As far as I am
aware it does not have a direct effect on taste or sensory attributes.
Someone may correct me on that.

You may be aware that egg yolk colour is also 'adjusted' by adding orange
xanthophyll pigments in the feed. One can add these pigments to the feed
for free-range poultry and achieve improved yolk colour in "free range"
eggs. Yolk colour was once used as a measure of quality also.

So the issue is really a marketing one. People in shops associate the
rich, green colour with freshness (see soap and detergent adverts on TV!).
That means that they have a preference for green or golden oils rather than
pale or colourless ones. My OLive Production & Marketing students find that
out on the first day of the course each year.

I would prefer that the industry continue to judge colourless while
acknowledging the marketing value of green/gold. Otherwise we will end up
with all sorts of challenges to the judging of oil quality - it is hard
enough already, thank you.

Bob Barrett, Horticulture, Viticulture & Oenology Department, The
University of Adelaide. Member of some AOA and OSA judging panels.

PS - Our Wine Marketing (internal and external modes) courses include olive
oil appreciation since we recognise the synergy between oil and wine
marketing - evidence the Primo Estate - Joseph brands from Joe Grilli. Hans
and other will find details on the net at www.adelaide.edu.au and searching
for 'wine'.


At 03:33 PM 11/12/02 +0100, you wrote:
> Hallo Nico,>
>Having just returned from a panel-tasting training, they maintain a
sequence
>of: >Perception of positive attributes (fruity, bitter, pungent)
>Perception of defects (fusty, musty, winey, muddy, metallic, rancid, other)
>through smelling/tasting.
>Being a wine student, it puzzled me to have to ignore colour!
Greetings, Hans
>



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<pre>Hans,
If you were a good wine student, like ours, you would know that wine does
not generally contain significant amounts of chlorophyll (the green in
leaves, fruit). Therefore wine does not change colour because of the
breakdown of the chlorophyll from green to brown/yellow pigments. Olive oil
does.

The degree of green in fresh oil can easily be changed by adding more
leaves. If it were a quality parameter it could thus easily be adjusted by
adding chlorophyll extract or leaves during processing. As far as I am
aware it does not have a direct effect on taste or sensory attributes.
Someone may correct me on that.

You may be aware that egg yolk colour is also 'adjusted' by adding orange
xanthophyll pigments in the feed. One can add these pigments to the feed
for free-range poultry and achieve improved yolk colour in "free range"
eggs. Yolk colour was once used as a measure of quality also.

So the issue is really a marketing one. People in shops associate the
rich, green colour with freshness (see soap and detergent adverts on TV!).
That means that they have a preference for green or golden oils rather than
pale or colourless ones. My OLive Production & Marketing students find that
out on the first day of the course each year.

I would prefer that the industry continue to judge colourless while
acknowledging the marketing value of green/gold. Otherwise we will end up
with all sorts of challenges to the judging of oil quality - it is hard
enough already, thank you.

Bob Barrett, Horticulture, Viticulture & Oenology Department, The
University of Adelaide. Member of some AOA and OSA judging panels.

PS - Our Wine Marketing (internal and external modes) courses include olive
oil appreciation since we recognise the synergy between oil and wine
marketing - evidence the Primo Estate - Joseph brands from Joe Grilli. Hans
and other will find details on the net at www.adelaide.edu.au and searching
for 'wine'.


At 03:33 PM 11/12/02 +0100, you wrote:
> Hallo Nico,>
>Having just returned from a panel-tasting training, they maintain a sequence
>of: >Perception of positive attributes (fruity, bitter, pungent)
>Perception of defects (fusty, musty, winey, muddy, metallic, rancid, other)
>through smelling/tasting.
>Being a wine student, it puzzled me to have to ignore colour!
Greetings, Hans
>
</pre>
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<pre>--- In OliveOil@yahoogroups.com, "hs pravida" <hspsafari@g...> wrote:
>and did get the impression that in the marketing of oil consumers
>see the colour first

in my experience with the buying public(and i personally meet at
least two to three thousand a year), one of the first comments they
make is about the colour of the oil.

while we in the industry know it is not a judging criteria, i think
we should always be aware that the buying public, the ULTIMATE JUDGES
of olive oil, DO consider the colour when appraising oil.

>- before they make their
> choice or read that fancy label


and of course, this is the other MAJOR criteria where the buying
public is concerned...ie the packaging.

if you bottle looks elegant, and it looks classy, they *will* buy it
because the public wants classy and elegant things in their homes.

and you'd be surprised how difficult it is to design/find a
label/packaging that not only sets your product apart from the rest
but gives the buyer a sense that your oil is something special.

i am constantly amazed at the number of labels that either seem to
try to emulate popular supermarket branding or use brash colours and
design features that would be better suited to a children's toy than
a high quality extra virgin olive oil.
</pre>
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