It is June. And with June comes another tasting club event. This month, we dived into the joys and wonders of extra virgin olive oil. Who knew that when it comes down to it, olive oils are like wine and chocolate with various origins, textures tastes. (Okay, in truth we are learning this about every thing that we have as a tasting event!)
The evening had us explore the divine depths of four luxury extra virgin olive oils. And of course, as we've learned with each tasting, there is usually some interesting part of the ritual. Of course for this month, it was that we took a drink of the extra virgin olive oil straight from our little cups ... yeah ... it was strange, but it really did help us see how different they were.
The first treat was a dark, rich oil that had a slight grassy, earthy aroma. The flavor however was a very smooth nutty treat. With a slight peppery finish, this was something you could pour on popcorn and call it heaven. It was no surprise that it hailed from the land of Italy. It was the Lucini olive oil. You can purchase it in a variety of places, but fair warning I noticed that the prices greatly vary (when I was grabbing the image.) I happened to notice that SuperTarget carried it for the very reasonable 8.99 (almost half of what it cost everywhere else.)
The second treat was a lovely Spanish oil called L'estornell. This was a very delicate oil that had a slightly sweet aftertaste, but was almost so subtle that it lacked too much flavor. Again, great for someone who maybe doesn't want a rich extra virgin olive oil or just wants a tiny bit of the luxury. According to the producers web site, this can typically be found at Williams-Sonoma. And I think you're looking at around $20 - 25 for the bottle.
The third oil smelled like herbs with a hint of fruit. You were hit by the strong pepper flavor and as you swallowed it down, the thick liquid made you cough. It was still good, but just so very different than the first. It's no surprise that this one hailed from the Greek Isles. A land known for their care and love of olives. It was definitely a delicious oil for flavoring your bread or cooking with, if you like a stronger taste to your oil. It was the Nassapoulos Family Groves Greek Gourmet Extra Virgin Olive Oil. On their web site, I think you can get a number of different sized bottles for under $10.
The final oil was one for someone who really likes a punch. There was a stronger floral scent to this oil, but the aroma did not prepare you for the unbelievable rich, peppery taste. If you are someone who likes to add a little pepper to your extra virgin olive oil before dipping your bread -- don't with this. It's the perfect blend of pepper and oil already. There's no need to enhance it. The taste is so strong that drinking it straight burned your throat a little like tequila. With bread it was great -- and it would probably be superb for cooking. Of course, this little treat came from the sunny lands of Californa and the McEvoy Ranch. At $20, you definitely may want to try it before you buy it if you are more of a subtle flavor person.
The rest of the food was great, we had mini Caprese salads (which are one of my favorite things!) and delicious little artichoke, olive, tomato pizzas. Next month, we'll venture into the fine world of cured meats. It's like a building antipasti!
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