10 criteria to recognize good olive oil

As a consumer, it's difficult. The ever-increasing variety of products can quickly overwhelm you. You're literally spoiled for choice. Olive oil is no different than other luxury foods such as beer, wine, sausage or cheese. You have to differentiate between different types, manufacturers, production processes and age. We want to help you make the decision for a good olive oil easier.

1. The smell test

The human nose is a miracle of nature. Once trained, it can do great things. A good olive oil always has a pleasant and fresh smell. It is best if you fill the olive oil into a small glass, warm it in your own hand, place the other hand over the sample and wait 5-10 seconds. If you then bring the glass to your nose and close your eyes, you will have the feeling that you are in a meadow. You will smell the scent of fresh grass and various herbs. Depending on the variety, you will smell vegetable aromas such as tomatoes or artichokes; apple and lemon are also possible. The counter test is simple: the oil must not smell of ripe fruit (e.g. ripe banana) or even unpleasant.

2. The taste test

A good olive oil has a fruity finish. There may also be almond tones. Some varieties are also more bitter, especially single-variety olive oils such as Leccino or Frantoio. With blends, the aim is to intensify the taste in a natural way and reduce the bitterness by mixing several varieties. You can compare this with a good glass of red wine cuvée. The most important thing in the taste test is the finish. After about 5-8 seconds, a light to medium burning sensation must be noticeable on the palate. Only then is it a young olive oil. The burning sensation comes from the antioxidants, the so-called polyphenols, which have a health-promoting effect and are particularly found in young olives.

3. The term "Extra Native"

The term Extra Native refers to olive oils that have been produced by cold pressing. Native means natural. With this mechanical cold pressing process, it is important that the oil is put into the press as quickly as possible after harvesting and that the temperature during pressing is constantly below 27 degrees. Only then will the valuable ingredients remain in the olive oil. According to EU law, only oils with less than 0.8% free fatty acids may be sold as Extra Native. Free fatty acids are undesirable byproducts. Unfortunately, this value is set very high. Since high-quality olive oils only have 0.08 to a maximum of 3.0%, many oils without these values ​​​​are often mixed with non-extra-virgin oils. In practice, they are mixed until the limit of 0.8% is reached. However, among olive oil producers, this is the most important value for determining high quality. Therefore, always ask for this value. It is usually on the homepage of the respective producer. This also teaches us: keep your hands off oils that are sold as "native". They can contain far more free fatty acids. Masino olive oil therefore only offers extra virgin olive oils that have a maximum of 3.0% free fatty acids. Values ​​of around 1.0% are achieved, for example, by the oils from Brist.

4. Organic olive oil and peroxide figures

There are more and more organically certified foods on the market, which is basically a good thing. When it comes to olive oil, you have to remember that there are many different organic certifications that need to be interpreted correctly. Organic does not mean that the olives were harvested young, that the oil contains more active ingredients or fewer free fatty acids. Therefore, it is always important to look at all the information. In addition to the free fatty acids, you can also ask about the peroxide number. This is also required by the producer from an independent laboratory. The number indicates how much oxygen is contained in the olive oil. It provides information about how much the olive oil was exposed to oxidation, i.e. how clean the production process really was. Legally, an olive oil can have a value of 20. Good oils always have a value of less than 10. Excellent oils have values of 2-6. With smaller producers, you also have to bear in mind that organic certification is difficult because the process ren expensive and can take up to three years, which not every manufacturer can afford. The best values are achieved by the Ipsa family from the mountain region of the Mirna Valley.

5. The harvest year

Olive oils can only be enjoyed when they are young, i.e. they are at their best in the first year of harvest. Therefore, always pay attention to the harvest year, as olive oils can also be sold in the second year after harvest. These are by no means bad, but they only retain their freshness if they are stored in the dark and at a temperature of 8-20 degrees. Olive oils that have been on the supermarket shelf for a year should be avoided, as should beers or wines from these areas. If you want to store large quantities for a year, this is recommended in your own cellar. Olive oils are harvested and pressed between October and November, but the high quality is only achieved if both are done in October. All Masino olive oils were harvested in October of last year.

6. The producer

Pay attention to information about the region, olive varieties or brand. If all information is missing and it is also a private label, you can assume that this is the cheapest product. Good olive oils are single-variety or a mixture of 3-5 olive varieties that must come from the same region. Often from the same olive grove. The typical taste can only be perceived if all the olives have been exposed to the same soil and the same climate. A good example is the Buža variety from Tonin.

7. The price

Imagine that an average olive tree produces 3x 0.5 l bottles of high-quality olive oil per year. Imagine that this is harvested by hand, mechanically pressed and bottled. This is a laborious undertaking, especially on the slopes in northern Istria. Harvesting young olives naturally reduces the yield per tree. In return, you get a much more intense olive oil with a high antioxidant content. How can such olive oil be sold in the supermarket for just EUR 5.99 per 0.5 l? This is simply not possible in a market economy. High-quality oils that were harvested under the best conditions and therefore have nutritional values ​​that are up to 8x better than average oils are available from around 15-20 EUR per 0.5 l. Depending on the location and size of the olive grove, the price can also be up to 30 EUR. A cheap oil of the best quality comes from Agro-Millo.

8. Pure olive oil vs. truffle & chili

You should always buy pure olive oil, i.e. 100% olive oil without artificial or natural additives. There are often olive oils with herbs, chili or truffle flavor. Of course, a real truffle is better than an artificial one. However, the principle also applies here: a good olive oil does not need to hide its taste. If you love truffles or chili, you can get the same effect if you mix them when preparing food. This gives you the advantage of being able to decide each time how you want to enjoy your olive oil. A classic is the Leccino from Al Torcio variety.

9. Monounsaturated fatty acids

Olive oil gets its health-promoting reputation primarily because of its high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are easily broken down by the body. The proportion is at least 70%. Very good oils or oils from wholesome olive varieties can even reach up to 80% (see also our article about the Brist olive grove from Vodnjan). Pay attention to this value too. If it is higher, the proportion of saturated fatty acids is lower. These are the bad fats that you should avoid anyway. See also our article: Of good and bad fats

10. Antioxidants or polyphenols

The principle is simple: if the olives are harvested young and healthy, you get the highest quality. If the olives are pressed on the same day, the olive oil is preserved. To achieve this, a manual process is necessary during the harvest. The young and healthy olives must be separated by hand from the ripe and damaged olives. This is done.