Aromatic & Deliciously Tasting Olive Oil
SITREP
Olica Olive Oil is the wonderful business project of Olga O. who has created an exceptional line of various olive oils as well as balsemic vinegars and other sundry projects.
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/olica-olive-oil-tasting-room-and-olive-mill-brooks?select=4GLglHXJtiJivsK5lwcH6w&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w
THE SETUP
Located primarily in the community of Brooks in Northern California, Olga has substantial acreage upon which her Olive Orchard empire is based.
However, Olga also spends a considerable amount of time spreading the "Gospel" of delicious, well-made Olive oils - with an emphasis on Extra Virgin Olive Oils.
FULL OF CLASS!
Indeed Olga is, AND I was fortunate to have her be my instructor at an Olive Oil class at the California State Fair where she share her excpetional knowledge on both the production details of creating different kinds of oils - those olive oils we consume vs. those used for other industrial purposes, as well as sharing her skills in how one would discriminate in tasting between different varietals of extra virgin olive oils, including:
* The different methods of extracting olive oil - first press, second extraction, etc.; and,
* The various Olive Oil grades of quality, and how these are based on the extraction processes, how they be blended, etc.; and,
* How to understand how they may spoil, discolor or be defective if certain precautions are not taken;
TASTING
Olga also showed us the "hows" to taste olive oil. Just like doing flights of wine, there is a tasting technique, similarly involving "air" - or MORE air to be precise, to open up both the notes of the olive oil as well as your taste buds. It made quite the difference!
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/olica-olive-oil-tasting-room-and-olive-mill-brooks?select=4GLglHXJtiJivsK5lwcH6w&userid=3mNz5nQFTIBQm0oU5mBR0w
In the tasting process with Olga, we learned to recognize the three (3) positive attributes of extra virgin olive oil:
1. Fruity - perceived through smelling by the nose;
2. Bitter - more than half the time, this sensation occurs in the back of the tongue; and,
3. Pungent / Spicy - a biting tactile sensation in the back of the throat
These attributes will help steer you to a better understanding of the kind of oil you are tasting.
OLIVE OIL VARIETALS
So it was quite the treat - after all of the "book learning" - to actually try several varietals, and tOlica had several olive oils featured - the standouts for me included:
= Arbosana - light, fruity notes, and definitely one I enjoyed by smelling;
= Picual - also a fruity olive, but deeper flavor; and,
= Koroneiki - this was the most pungent, with a definite bite, and ended up being my take-away to enjoy at home - I actually already sauteed some vegetables and these tomatoes in the picture with the Koroneiki into a lovely pasta sauce that was absolutely deLISH!
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/olica-olive-oil-tasting-room-and-olive-mill-brooks?select=hhzUjrbpf1GwnQQu92WkLQ&reviewid=z_6Pj3X3C75Echf7ImXR8g
"TOP OF THE CLASS!"
Since I did the best on the Olive Oil exam, guess who got a cool dapper Olive Oil apron? Moi!
https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/olica-olive-oil-tasting-room-and-olive-mill-brooks?select=L4PjZQcQGV5qfar2CQ2BDg&reviewid=z_6Pj3X3C75Echf7ImXR8g
THE LOWDOWN
Olica has the finest olive oils that you must try! read more