That Extra Virgin Olive Oil Tastes Funny
admin | February 22, 2010By international convention, all extra virgin olive oils SHOULD be free of any taste defects. However, in reality a number of faulty olive oils do make it onto the market – sometimes intentionally – other times the producer just doesn’t know that their oil has a problem . So if you buy an EVOO and it seems to taste a bit funny, consult the following table. At least you’ll know what the problem is!
Updated 20/8/2013
Character | Description
|
Most Probable Cause |
Fusty | Brined table olives, bad tapenade | Delays in processing following harvesting which results in olives undergoing fermentation. |
Musty | Dry mouldy hay, mould spores, mushroom | Delays in processing following harvesting olives in humid conditions. From fungi and moulds that accumulate on olives, or if the olives had a fungal disease. |
Winey | Vinegar and/or nail polish remover | Olive fermentation in the presence of oxygen. Typically from damaged olives particularly if they are over-ripe |
Rancid | Stale walnuts, peanuts, stale cooked oil, putty | From oil oxidation. All oils will eventually go rancid over time no matter how good they are or how well they are stored |
Muddy Sediment | Fetid milk, baby vomit, parmesan cheese, salami, smoky, barnyard, medicinal | Prolonged contact of the oil with the sediment made up of olive particles that settles to the bottom of storage tanks. |
Metallic | Metal, epsom salts | From metal contact, but also seen in very bitter oils that have been extracted under excessive heat, or in the presence of leaves |
Earthy | Wet soil, dusty | From soiled unwashed olives, or olives washed by dirty wash water |
Frosted | Stewed fruits. vanilla, acrylic paint, wet wood, custard | Frozen fruit on the tree which has been thawed and processed. |
Dried | Hay, fresh straw | Drought affected olives, or those desiccated through extended refrigeration in cool rooms |
Burnt | Caramel, metallic taste | From excessive and/or prolonged heating of the paste before oil extraction |
Cheesy | Stinky cheese, foot odour | Not an official fault. Occasionally occurs in oils from the variety Arbequina made from high density groves. Cause unknown. |
Flat | Lacking fresh fruit character | Typically fruit aroma/flavours are lost due to age. Together with fattyness, signals the onset of rancidity |