Olive Oil: Mini Tasting Guide by Armakadi

The Basic Characteristics of High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil Olive oil is one of the basic ingredients of the Mediterranean diet and its benefits for our well-being are scientifically proven. But choosing the right olive oil might be a hard task, if we don’t know some basic things.

Chemical analysis Firstly, all types of olive oil are categorized in different grades (extra virgin, virgin or simply olive oil) according to the means followed for collecting the fruit, the way it was processed and the results of the chemical analysis performed. “Extra virgin olive oil” is the highest grade of olive oil. It is obtained using solely mechanical or physical means, under conditions that do not alter in any way the natural attributes of the oil. In other words, it is the pure juice of the fruits. Most importantly, the oil’s content in free fat acids (acidity levels) do not exceed 0,8gr / 100gr of oil, so its acidity levels are below 0,8%. ARMAKADI is an extra virgin olive oil and the results from the chemical analysis (performed on each year’s production) show that its acidity levels are slightly below 0,4%, which is far below the limit, thus of superior quality. Organoleptic Standards Apart from the results of the chemical analysis, there are also a set of organoleptic standards, which help us determine the overall quality of an olive oil. These standards are based on the colour, the smell and the taste each olive oil has and they give us a good indication about things such as the process used to make the olive oil, under which conditions it was stored, how it was bottled and so on.

Colour Looking at the colour of the oil, an expert can tell how mature the fruit was, the way it was turned into oil as well as which variety (cultivar) was used to produce it. ARMAKADI is produced using exclusively olives of the Koroneiki variety. The fruit is picked early in the harvest season, so the oil produced has a deep green colour. Smell Like in any other food products, an unpleasant smell (for example the smell of mould, soil, metallic etc) indicates that the oil has not been produced or kept under the right conditions or even that its self life has been expired. ARMAKADI has a pleasant, fruity scent which means that the oil was produced from healthy fruits that have been collected at the peak of their growth. They have been washed thoroughly and pressed using modern equipment that comply with the health and sanitation standards. Taste The taste of the olive oil is determined according to factors such as the variety of the olives used, the consistency and characteristics of the soil in which the tree has grown, at which point the fruit was collected and many more. ARMAKADI has a slightly spicy / peppery taste which means that the oil was produced at the start of the harvest period, using olives that have just matured, therefore the acidity levels are quite below the limit. The slightly spicy taste is considered amongst the expert as a positive characteristic of the olive oil.

How to try & rate olive oil Olive oil tasting has a lot in common with wine tasting. It requires certain knowledge of the different cultivars and olive oils, a well-trained palate and many, many tasting trials!

During the last few years, we have been in touch with various olive oil tasting experts in Greece and abroad, who tried ARMAKADI in order to rate it and give us their feedback. Watching them taste the olive oil and discussing with them, we have learnt a few â&#x20AC;&#x153;secretsâ&#x20AC;? about how to rate olive oil and we are sharing them with you! Right preparation In order to distinguish and detect all the different aromas and tastes an olive oil has, you will need to follow some guidelines before the tasting. It is generally accepted that the quantity of olive oil for the tasting should be around 15ml, while its temperature around 26-28 degrees Celsius. You should not smoke or consume any food or drink for at least 45 minutes before the session. The tasting should take place in a room with no other odors or smells.

Tasting the olive oil Using a glass of white wine, which can capture the different aromas, we start by smelling the olive oil. A good quality olive oil has pleasant aromas, like the smell of fresh olives, green grass, fruits or even spices. The aroma of each olive oil depends on the location of the olive tree used to produce the oil, the soil conditions, the trees and plants around it, the methods used to collect and process the fruit and so on. Unpleasant smells like that of mould, dirt or metallic mean that the olive oil is of low quality or is beyond its shelf life. The next step is to try its taste. To do that, you take a ship of the olive oil and let it flow slowly inside the mouth before swallowing it. Olive oils can be categorised as sweet, buttery, green, peppery, assertive and more, depending on the variety of the fruit. ARMAKADI is an olive oil with a mild, fruity aroma, moderate bitterness and a slightly peppery taste. The moderate bitterness and the peppery taste mean that the olive oil is of high quality and its natural anti-inflammatory qualities are perfectly preserved.

How to store your olive oil In order to preserve its natural ingredients and attributes, olive oil should be stored in room temperature, inside dark glass bottles, with air-tight lids, that protect it from light and air exposure Clear plastic bottles should be avoided as they can not protect sufficiently from light or air exposure. For bigger quantities, use a tinplate container that preferably can store no more than 5lt. Once the level of the oil lowers, pour the rest of the content into bottles to avoid air exposure from the air left inside the tin.

For more information regarding Armakadi Extra Virgin Olive Oil or any other product from the Armakadi range, please visit our website on www.armakadi.gr or our Facebook page on www.facebook.com/armakadi.