If you are lucky enough to find yourself meandering about the streets of one of the California cities that plays host to one of the many olive oil tasting bars, then you might want to wander in and belly up to the bar.
Well maybe not belly up but you can walk up and have one of the staff take you through an olive oil tasting.
OK, lets take a step back.
Olive oil tasting? Why would I want to taste my olive oil? Well it is a food for one thing.
And it does have a taste, albeit probably not a good one, unless you are buying from a reputable source.
And most importantly, if you are going to add it to your food (salad or whatnot) then you should know what it is going to taste like.
If you had no idea what paprika tasted like then you probably would not add it to your banana nut bread, so why would you add something to your salad that you do not what it really taste like.
Because it is healthy you say, well cod liver oil is healthy but you will not see me add it to my salad.
So now you are at the bar and you have a sample of olive oil in a cup, now what? Well first of all take your hand and cover the top of the cup to trap the aroma of the oil in the cup.
Use your other hand to cup the bottom of the sample to warm it up a bit.
Now release your top hand and stick you nose down in the cup and take a big whiff.
Here you will smell the aromas the oil has to offer.
Each oil will have different characteristics.
Some might smell very fruity, like green apple, or tomato vine, while others might smell more like fresh cut grass or wheatgrass.
You might smell a little fresh olive as well.
Now you are going to lean your head back and take a sip.
A lot of people are afraid to take a large sip, but come on its not a whole glass of oil, its a sip.
As you take in the sip of oil, grit your teeth, open your lips slightly and take in a bunch of air.
This might seem odd to you to make such a noise, and in public.
But I assure you this is the official way to taste olive oil.
As you "slurp" in the air, the oil will spray around your mouth.
This will allow all of the different taste buds in your mouth to get some oil.
What you will experience now is the wonder of olive oil.
Some will be buttery, some will be fruity, some will be peppery.
Each oil is so different you will be amazed.
After about 10 seconds or so the oil will start to give you a coughing sensation.
Each oil will offer a different level of this but each should have some level.
This is the polyphenols in the olive oil working on your throat.
This is a good thing.
The fresher the oil, the more polyphenols.
If the oil is old then there will be no sensation at all.
So you want some level of this.
Although it is subjective as to how much you want.
So there you have it.
The basics of olive oil tasting.
There is certainly much more to the entire process if you are trying to be an "official" taster.
But for the average person, this is what you need in order to taste olive oil and decide if you want buttery and light, or fruity and pungent.
So next time you find yourself walking by an olive oil tasting bar, go in and walk up to the bar and tell them to pour you a taste of the house favorite.