—Olive oil tasting involves smelling the aroma of an oil, and then sipping it to taste its positive attributes. Official tasters drink the oil from dark blue glasses, to ensure they can’t see the color of the olive oil (and be influenced by an oil’s green or gold color).

Look for three qualities

Tasters should look for these three positive attributes:

• Fruitiness: Any positive organic smell or taste.
• Bitterness: A sign of freshness that is usually tasted on the sides of the tongue.
• Pungency: A peppery, burning sensation in the throat. ot all olive oils have all three of the attributes, but some should be present.Try it for yourself!! Grab that bottle you’ve had in the pantry for ages, and taste it to see if it’s still good. Pour some into a wine glass– about an inch or two high – cover the glass with one hand while warming the base of the glass with the other. Place your nose into the glass after a minute and breathe in. Does it smell fruity, like green apples, cut grass, or tomato leaf? Great! Or does it smell unpleasant, like paint thinner, bacon, or a musty cellar? In that case, it’s probably defective and should be thrown out.

Next, slurp in about a quarter of a tea­spoon and let it sit on your tongue while you breathe in. Finally, swallow a bit and look for any signs of pepper in the throat. If an oil has a greasy feeling on your tongue, it’s probably past its prime.

Remember, olive oil is a fresh product, much like a fruit juice. It needs to be used within 24 months of when it’s made, and it needs to be used within a few months of opening the bottle.

Recommended tasting locations:

We Olive

A retail shop & tasting spot at 1311 Park St., Paso Robles. Huge selection and friendly knowledgeable staff. weolive.com, (805) 239-7667.

Olivas De Oro

Local grower and producer of award-winning olive oil. Enjoy olive oil, vinegar and artisan-crafted food tastings and a rotating selection of cheese & charcuterie. Located in Tin City, 2989 B Limestone Way, Paso Robles. Open Daily 11-5, Fri & Sat 11-6, olivasdeoro.com, (805) 227-4223.

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