Do you know how to identify good olive oil?

A good olive oil has characteristics that vary between Bitter, Fruity and Pungent. Find out more about these aspects

After purchasing an olive oil, it’s time to taste it. Whether in a recipe or individual tasting, it is necessary to know how to identify good olive oil.

As with any product, there are several characteristics that must be taken into account to know whether the olive oil is good or bad.

Good olive oil has several benefits, including lowering cholesterol and protection against oxidative damage caused by external agents such as radiation and pollutants.

Therefore, it is extremely important to know how to identify good olive oil. Poor quality olive oils do not have the benefits found in good products and can also give an unpleasant taste to the food.

In this article, we at Lagar H have separated some information that can help you identify a good olive oil, according to the characteristics found in these products. And also, which attributes you should avoid in olive oil. Look!

How to identify good olive oil?

In recent years, the consumption of olive oils has grown. According to the International Olive Council (IOC), more than 3 million tons of olive oil were used around the world.

With so much product being consumed, it is essential that people know how to identify good olive oil.

With this in mind, we have separated some negative and positive characteristics of olive oil, according to IOC , so you can recognize quality products. Check out!

Positive characteristics of olive oil

Bitter - A good olive oil has, in its characteristic, a bitter flavor of greater or lesser intensity. This indicates that the product is fresh, in addition, its bitterness varies from olive to olive, with the greener fruit having a more bitter flavor.

Fruity – Olive oils, especially virgin and extra virgin, must have an aroma and taste of the fruit itself, reminiscent of the freshness of nature.

They can be greener aromas such as cut grass, tomato, aromatic herbs, green almonds, green apple, among others. Or more mature, like ripe almonds and tropical fruits.

Pungent – A pungent olive oil has spicy characteristics. When tasting a good quality product, you will feel a slight sensation of something spicy, which can be lighter or more intense.

This happens when the product is fresh and the intensity is related to the variety of olive and the ripeness of the fruit.

Negative characteristics of olive oil

Avinado – When olives are poorly stored before extraction and undergo some type of fermentation. In this case, olive oils may have sensory characteristics that resemble vinegar.

Mold/Mold – Unfortunately, this is one of the most common negative characteristics found in olive oils. The products get their flavor from the mold on extremely ripe olives stored in large quantities for long periods before extraction.

Metallic – When exposed for a long time in processes or storage that contain metallic surfaces, olive oil can obtain metallic flavor characteristics.

Rancid – Contact between olive oil, oxygen and light can cause one of the most common negative characteristics: the rancid taste of the liquid.

Now that you know how to identify good olive oil, what positive characteristics to look for and the aspects that need to be avoided, find out how to purchase a quality product for your home.

Learn how to buy good olive oil

Every consumer values ​​extremely high-quality olive oil, right? Including you.

Therefore, it is essential to know national brands that meet all the requirements of the country's main entities, such as the National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (MAPA).

Lagar H, in addition to being in agreement with these entities, produces extra virgin olive oils in ideal environments to guarantee the quality of the product from harvest to your table.

For example, in our mill, olive oil is cold extracted within 6 hours after harvest and stored in nitrogen tanks in air-conditioned rooms, to obtain a neutral atmosphere and prevent oxidation of the product.
Learn more about Lagar H extra virgin olive oils and how the entire process happens in our mill.