Olive Juice

Decent olive oil has three main components: fruity, pungent and bitter. Most of the olive oil we consume in the US is crap. "Rancid" is the more technical term but you get the gist. Since it is a live product, olive oil gets worse with age. Heat, light and atmosphere are all enemies of olive oil so it's best kept in a cold dark place.

Olives only grow on the newest branches so you'll only see buds on the ends of branches. They are pollinated by the wind, making the Tuscan winds a crucial component.Tuscany has ideal weather conditions for growing olives. Normally harvested in the Fall, we only a got a glimpse of the buds:

The International Olive Oil Association uses these kinds of jars for tasting:

These are clear colored, but the real deal should be cobalt blue. They don’t want the color to influence the tasting. You take the jar in your hand and form a shell then start gently swirling. The heat and motion will release compounds of the olive oil. You then lift the lid and take a big whiff. This is when you use words like, “grassy,” “lemon peel,” “apple,” “asparagus,” “peppery” and “spicy,” to describe the smell. If it smells like garbage, it’s rancid.

To taste the olive oil, you put a little bit on the front of your tongue and start “stripping.” With teeth clenched, push the tongue to the roof of the mouth, inflate air and then swallow. The peppery/ spicy flavor reveals itself and if a novice (like me) you choke on the oil and it’s kind of embarrassing. Olive oil tasting is best done with sparkling water. Any excuse to drink Pelligrino is okay by me. Using bread to taste is a big no-no.

An olive press costs around $100,000. That's pretty cheap right? I’m thinking of starting my own business. A classmate suggested the name, “Olive Us Together Holding Hands,” but that might be too long for the label. For now I’m tentatively calling it “Olive Juice,” which when mouthed looks like you’re saying “I love you.” I’m guessing I need around half a million to get started.