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Originally Posted by alanw
(Post 8894249)
Oops, none of the supermarket links seem to work.
It's from these guys http://www.coosur.es/2index.html Just the plain old Oli d'Oliva, sabor intens (it looks like the labels are in Spanish on the web site). Thanks for the tip! I'll pick some up on my next visit (end of February) - just realised it's made from the 'picual' olive which the Scientist linked to in my last post said keeps its anti-oxidant properties for longer. The hands down best oil I've ever had was brought to me in Plastic drink bottle as a gift from someone with family in Molinicos - a small village in the Albacete region (bordering Murcia). Not one drop of that even went close to a frying pan - just couldn't make it last long enough, I even cut the bottle open so I could wipe bread in there and mop up the last few milligrams. Oh, that was a sad day... |
The best olive oils I've had anywhere are the local ones on Crete, which you get in bulk in the stores or in carafes on taverna tables. The best of these are off the scale. I poured some once from a carafe on a taverna table in Heraklio onto a piece of rustic bread, and it was not only the best olive oil I've ever tasted, it was one of the best things I've ever tasted.
In North America the best overall I've found, and the best value, are Turkish, but they're a little hard to find. Greek ones, more readily available, are almost as good. Italian olive oils have a bad reputation for being adulterated or not living up to the specifications on the bottle. Occasionally I've found imported French olive oils which are excellent but hard to find and extremely expensive. I've never had a California olive oil that impressed me much, including the fancy expensive ones in artistic bottles. |
Originally Posted by alanw
(Post 8889942)
Interesting in the OP the comment about oils being marketed like wines. That's true, but I also think it's ridiculous. So many people swearing they'll only use oil from one country or region, and statements like "extra virgin or nothing" just prove the marketing is working its magic.
Here's an idea: how about choosing an oil based on how it tastes? And smells? And works in your recipes? Quality ought to matter more than the darling label on the undoubtedly fancy designer bottle. Living in a country where the stuff is produced in huge quantities, and where it's an integral part of the diet gives me an opportunity to try and compare a lot more than I could before. They sell plenty of the prissy stuff here (especially at the airport!) but the one we go back to every day, the one with the best, slightly piquant flavor and most exquisite texture, for me, is this stuff, at around 3€ a liter for a plastic jug in any supermarket. We still try others from time to time, but I have two or three nearly-full expensive bottles in the kitchen that we reach over to get to the good stuff. Considering I put some of those fancy bottles in BCN and MAD I do not know if to feel offended.... but you are quite right, the prices are not always justified. I would however recommend everybody to buy Extra Virgin. That by itself does not have to be expensive and the flavour is clearly better. As for the varietals etc. This will depend on personal taste but just to keep it spanish varieties there is a clear difference between picual, cornicabra, hojiblanca and arbequina to name a few. I am particular fond of some of the oil made by the cooperatives in Priorat which are very cheap too. |
Just discovered a very yummy olive oil in New Zealand! Bought out all of the lemon infused oil at the small market in Hawke's Bay. Stewart's is the name I believe. The owner/maker told me he just signed a contract to start having his plain olive oil sold in Whole Foods stores starting in February. I brought a few bottles back and gave one to my boss who loved it as a dressing and with bread dipping.
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Originally Posted by Pepijn
(Post 8910061)
I would however recommend everybody to buy Extra Virgin. That by itself does not have to be expensive and the flavour is clearly better.
Originally Posted by LapLap
(Post 8885670)
So the results of a selection of everyday Spanish oil by an official panel of graders were
ELOSUA - 7.1 - Extra Virgin CARBONELL - 7 - Extra Virgin LA ESPAÑOLA - 5.8 - Virgin YBARRA - 6.9 - Extra Virgin OLIDOR OLIVAL - 8 - Extra Virgin KOIPE - 6.4 - Virgin CORDOBA - 6 - Virgin LA MASIA - 7 - Extra Virgin (SNIP) Just for comparison, consumers, using less stringent and methodical means, gave the same oils these scores: ELOSUA - 6.5 CARBONELL - 6 LA ESPAÑOLA - 7 YBARRA - 7 OLIDOR OLIVAL - 7 KOIPE - 5.5 CORDOBA - 6.5 LA MASIA - 7 If an oil is 'Extra Virgin', this is evidently a good sign of the oil's quality, but it's perfectly feasible that someone may prefer the flavour of a 'Virgin' Olive Oil better. |
Extra virgin, usually Italian.
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Greek all the way... I used to get it from Greece, but since the
liquid rules.. I'll have to rely on the ones from the local grocery stores... so far I like the Extra Virgin. I still have some stash that I can use for a while. Recently I got one thats made from sort of green olives. (Greek) I still have to open that up though. It came highly recommended. |
I only use one: Greek Extra Virgin Kalamata Olive Oil made by Olga Georgatsou. Available here: http://www.greekolivewarehouse.com/exviroloilol.html
Light, not overpowering, and can be used in a wide variety of dishes. |
For those of you that may find yourselves in Sonoma Valley, CA thru February, this may be interesting: The Sonoma Valley Olive Festival. It apparently has a strong emphasis on olive oil.
Here's the link: http://www.sonomavalley.com/OliveFestival/default.asp I've never been. In fact, I just saw a reference to this in the Sacramento Bee this Sunday but it sounds yummy! |
I love Olive Oyl... but then so does Popeye and there's no way I'm gonna mess with some girl whose feller has forearms THAT size !
However.nothing beats a dish of good olive oil with balsamic vinegar and some fresh crusty bread straight from the oven ...together with some black olive paste,a simple Greek salad, some local Greek calamari and an ice-cold bottle of Boutari sheltering from the midday sun in the shade of a hilltop taverna on a Greek island with no-one but my thoughts and the owner and his dog. Spring 2007 and probably one of the greatest meals of my life. I love the Greeks.... and I love their olive oil. |
We really like a brand called 'Oveja Negra' down here, it's made by the same company that produces great Chilean wine.
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I expect that at some time soon, our local wine retailer will (unsuccessfully) try to sell olive oils. Probably boutique imports with a local 'winemaker' variety thrown in.
The only way I could see it working out for them would be that they include an oil & bread alongside wines at their weekly tastings. I still have my doubts but if the oils are clearly tastier than supermarket offerings, they will sell. BTW the nation's largest (and dysfunctional) retailer is selling Spain's Carbonell brand EV 4L for $20 as a promotion instead of $40+; hard to beat! |
Kirkland - the store brand at Costco gets high marks from both Consumer Reports and Mrs Scubadiver. However I noticed that the bottles no longer say "Tuscanny." I hope the green eyeshades haven't cheapened the product for an extra penny profit.
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Extra virgin with balsamic vinegar, and dunk bread in it. Yum.
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Mmmmm. Lebanese or Palestinian, preferably homemade. If not available, local brands like al-Dayaa olive oil from Lebanon.
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