How to taste olive oil: like an expert

Learn how to taste olive oil and embrace the healthy Mediterranean diet. You can arrange a tasting at home, before a dinner party. Your palate and appetite will be whetted in an instant. 

Olive Oil Tasting Guide: for pros

As in the case of wine, olive oil has a wide range of flavors and aromas. Its main categories are: delicate, medium and intense. But there are also subcategories: fruity, spicy, sour, herbaceous, etc. 

You can start by tasting 3 types of olive oil. If they come from different regions or are very different from each other, even better, as you will find a bigger contrast from one tasting to another. Let’s go!

1. Put one tablespoon of olive oil in a stemless wine glass (or similar). If you want to do it like a pro, use a blue glass. Why blue? You can find out more in our olive oil fun facts.
2. To reach the best temperature, hold the glass as if it were a bowl for 30 seconds. 
3. Now, the professional taster gently swirls their glass. Let the different aromas intoxicate you. This is the perfect moment to identify the kind of aroma, and it will help you get ready for the next step. 
4. Time to taste! It’s time to taste the olive oil. Have a sip of olive oil and keep it in your mouth for a “strepaggio,” taking small sips of air while the olive oil is still in your mouth. You can see how this process elevates your sensory experience. After this, swallow and savor it. 
5. Reflect on the different nuances of the olive oil you just tasted, and continue with the rest of them. We suggest that you allow 10 minutes to go by between one olive oil taste and the next so that your tasting is not influenced by olive oil’s different aromas and flavors. During this time, you can eat a small piece of apple, some bread or drink a bit of water. Let your palate break free and delve into another olive oil!
   

Olive Oil Tasting Guide: for beginners

If you are a beginner who is not so used to drinking olive oil, here is a simpler tasting:

1. Put two tablespoons of olive oil in a small shallow dish.
2. Take a small piece of bread and dip it in the olive oil. This is an easier and yummier way to taste different kinds of oils.

What does really good olive oil taste like?

Let us help you identify what a really good olive oil tastes like. You can ask yourself the following questions next time you taste olive oil:

• Was the aroma nice or unpleasant? Why? Was the aroma soft, strong, medium…?
• How would you describe the oil’s aroma? Could you compare it to other oils’ aromas? 
• How does it feel on your tongue and throat after the tasting? Do you feel like coughing? Is it itchy?

After every tasting, you will be uncovering the taste of olive oil and educating your palate even more. The more gastronomic experiences you have, the wider your culture will be. Enjoy a good olive oil tasting! And remember: different strokes for different folks.