Olive Oil's Lack Of Taste Is The Thing-It Won't Catch The Attention Of The King

[body2body]

Trader Joe's has a nice Spanish EVOO that has a nice green color and slightly bitter finish that I like in a simple huile et citron dressing. I like the California Estate Bottled EVOO from TJ's. "California Olive Ranch" EVOO is available at many major chains in both bold and everyday varieties. The thing to remember about California Olive Oil is that the industry is highly regulated ( at the request of the growers) and a California Olive oil will always be what is represented on the label. When I have guests I usually serve nice crusty La Brea Bakery bread and offer both EVOO, and unsalted French Butter. I let my guests choose their preference.

[whipped guy]

Ah! it all makes sense now. My appreciation for olive oil really developed when I lived in Spain. When I got back to the U.S., I bought what I thought was the good stuff, olive oil from Italy (Spain didn't import much to the U.S. back then). But Italian olive oil wasn't just pricey, it was absolute crap!! I continued to use Colavita for cooking (not too bad, nor too expensive) but not for dipping bread. Now that Spanish companies are shipping excellent olive oil stateside, I buy olive oil for over the Internet.

One needs to read the fine print in all those "Italian" brands in the supermarket. Years ago those brands were the real deal, but no longer. My my maternal grandmother who I vaguely remember as a small child would not buy anything other than Filipo Berio and would scrimp and save pennies to do so. Today that's crap and many older Italians still buy that brand based on old habits and tradition.

 

Spanish Olive oil usually has a strong flavor that I like, while the best Italian oils have a more fruity flavor. Both are wonderful in their own way!

 

Trader Joe's has a nice Spanish EVOO that has a nice green color and slightly bitter finish that I like in a simple huile et citron dressing. I like the California Estate Bottled EVOO from TJ's. "California Olive Ranch" EVOO is available at many major chains in both bold and everyday varieties. The thing to remember about California Olive Oil is that the industry is highly regulated ( at the request of the growers) and a California Olive oil will always be what is represented on the label. When I have guests I usually serve nice crusty La Brea Bakery bread and offer both EVOO, and unsalted French Butter. I let my guests choose their preference.

 

I probably will give Trader Joe's Spanish EVO a shot since it seems to have what body2body describes as having the green color that I associate with Spanish oils along with a bitter aftertaste. For some reason I found TJ's California Estate EVO lacking in flavor and finish (both overly mild for my taste). Still, it's good to know about the California olive oil industry standards so I may give them another try.

[+ deej]

When I have guests I usually serve nice crusty La Brea Bakery bread and offer both EVOO, and unsalted French Butter. I let my guests choose their preference.

 

As any good host should. I might add a good schmear of cream cheese and lox, for guests of that persuasion.

 

The thing about being a good host is not imposing your tastes on others but making sure there is something on the table that matches THEIR tastes.

[body2body]

As any good host should. I might add a good schmear of cream cheese and lox, for guests of that persuasion.

 

The thing about being a good host is not imposing your tastes on others but making sure there is something on the table that matches THEIR tastes.

I'm not that good a host, sorry.

[+ Gar1eth]

Trader Joe's has a nice Spanish EVOO that has a nice green color and slightly bitter finish that I like in a simple huile et citron dressing. I like the California Estate Bottled EVOO from TJ's. "California Olive Ranch" EVOO is available at many major chains in both bold and everyday varieties. The thing to remember about California Olive Oil is that the industry is highly regulated ( at the request of the growers) and a California Olive oil will always be what is represented on the label. When I have guests I usually serve nice crusty La Brea Bakery bread and offer both EVOO, and unsalted French Butter. I let my guests choose their preference.

 

I don't know that I've had fancy French butter, but I know my experience from normal American butter is that unsalted is fairly tasteless. And I'm skeptical that using salted butter in most baked goods/recipes would really mess the dish up. I'm willing to believe that there might be a few extremely fussy recipes where the difference between salted butter and unsalted makes a difference. But I'm not sure I'll ever be a fancy enough cook to cook those.

 

Gman

[+ Tygerscent]

I don't want to talk about olive oil's reported health benefits. I only want to talk about taste as it is used for bread/vegetable dipping. Maybe my palate is jaded. But I just don't see how it could be preferred to butter.

 

Now go and discuss.

 

Gman

Ya... I was in Italy for a couple of months with my Client... One of the things we did was go to olive oil places and "sample" various grades and types of olive oil...

The olives are picked at different stages of development and from different genetically related olive trees~

The process of "tasting" the oils is to pour a small amount in a cup or shot glass... Then tip the glass so that the oil pours onto the tip of your tongue~

You let the oil move across the pallet and, (with pursed lips), breath/inhale the oil deeply into your lungs~

The flavors come out and are actually "peppery".

It will be peppery to the point that it will make you cough if don't correctly~

The process really brings out the flavors and bouquet of the oil~

My experience with olive oils in the US is that they are not very flavorable, they lack body and bouquet for the most part~

Although, Oregon is making some pretty good olive oils in wine country there~

Tyger~

tygerkink@yahoo.com

971.400.2633

[AdamSmith]

Butter is wonderful.

Just ask Marlon Brando.

[whipped guy]

Ya... I was in Italy for a couple of months with my Client... One of the things we did was go to olive oil places and "sample" various grades and types of olive oil...

The olives are picked at different stages of development and from different genetically related olive trees~

The process of "tasting" the oils is to pour a small amount in a cup or shot glass... Then tip the glass so that the oil pours onto the tip of your tongue~

You let the oil move across the pallet and, (with pursed lips), breath/inhale the oil deeply into your lungs~

The flavors come out and are actually "peppery".

It will be peppery to the point that it will make you cough if don't correctly~

The process really brings out the flavors and bouquet of the oil~

My experience with olive oils in the US is that they are not very flavorable, they lack body and bouquet for the most part~

Although, Oregon is making some pretty good olive oils in wine country there~

Tyger~

tygerkink@yahoo.com

971.400.2633

When at the Southern command post there is a local establishment that specializes in Olive Oils from all over the world. This time of the year the oils come from the Southern Hemisphere. Recently I sampled them as Tyger noted above in small shot glasses. I described what I was looking for, and that was the peppery after taste, but they seemed to specialize in more mild oils... or at least that seemed to be the case from all the southern oils that they carried. I tried the most peppery, but prior to even trying it I was told that it probably would be way to bland for my taste... and so it was! As a Tyger noted most "lacked body and bouquet". They will be getting oil from the Northern Hemisphere in a couple of months. I will return to see what they offer. Until then I went with what Trader Joe's offers which had better flavor and at a fraction of the price.

 

They also have flavored oils that are infused with basil and hot pepper etc. Interesting, but I would prefer to add my own basil and hot peppers if so desired both of which I grow. However, when flavored I found that it masks the flavor of the oil so it mostly defeats the purpose. I only tried the basil version and that was the last one that I sampled.

[Epigonos]

I love to cook but over the years I have come to realize that I have a very unsophisticated palate. I never use imported or unsalted butter. I like intense flavors and the salt helps. With wine I either like the taste or I don’t. I take a shallow and if I like it I continue if I don’t I dump it. I’ve had $5.00 bottles of wine I’ve loved and $50.00 ones I’ve hated. I cook with a lot of olive oil. I use less expensive oil for sautéing and frying and more expensive oil for salad dressings. Can I personally tell the difference – not really but I do it out of habit.

 

If I am hosting a small dinner party I am careful to determine my guests likes and dislikes and cook accordingly If, however, I am hosting a large party, twenty-five guests or more, there is NO way I cook to meets each guests individual tastes. I prepare a large variety of dishes and then my guests are on their own. Many years ago I gave a luncheon, in my home, for my school’s PTA Board. The women loved the idea of having a man cook for them. My principal, who attended, was and still is one of the fussiest eaters in the world. He ate nothing and stopped at Burger King on his way back to school to buy a burger. His wife, a real sweetheart, was absolutely horrified that he told me. I could have cared less. He is a great guy and whether or not he ate was his choice. I honestly think his wife is still ragging on him regarding this.

[gallahadesquire]

Let me be the first:

 

 

Regarding Olive Oil: EVOo is not the best for cooking. Regular olive oil has a higher smoke point. And using two parts butter / one part olive oil is great for sauteeing mushrooms. [Ref: Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, vol. 1]

 

http://www.sarafino.com

 

Regarding balsamic vinegar: Some years back I was in Italy with some friends, and went on a balsamic vinegar hunt. I found a Balsamic that was the best I'd ever tasted ... at 40 euros / bottle, it should be. A few years later, I finally found the North American importer, who's outside Toronto. He specializes in Italian food stuffs. He'd been looking for a Balsamic that was worth carrying, and someone had suggested this particular brand. Long story short: He met with the producer, who decided that the shop owner was a man of integrity, and worth having as a distributor.

 

Unfortunately, one has to buy his Balsamic by the case. And importing it is a bitch, being food stuffs across an international border.

 

Acetaia La Bonissima

Meet the Di Pietri family.

Meet the Di Pietri family. Since the beginning of the 1900s, they have kept the traditional family methods and recipes used for the production of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP. Franco and Donatella De Pietri are heirs to this precious tradition, and they have honourably maintained the production of Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP at the Acetaia La Bonissima vinegar distillery. Acetaia La Bonissima vinegar distillery is located in Casinalbo at the foot of the Appennines and just seven kilometres from the centre of Modena that is the territory of the grapevines that have been used for centuries for the production of wine must for Balsamic Vinegar of Modena IGP.

 

The traditions, environment and philosophies of the company are the basis for the trademark logo of Acetaia La Bonissima. The statue of a woman was erected in the middle of Modena during the thirteenth century as a memorial. The small statue seems to represent a lady who, according to some, held a balance as a symbol of the exactness of weights, measurements and the superior quality of goods. Others claim that in a period of great famine which struck Modena, a noblewoman guaranteed the survival of the poor by donating grain and supplies in large quantities. ‘La Bonissima’, as she is known by Modena’s people, has since become one of the most important and beloved symbols of the city.

[+ pitman]

Just ask Marlon Brando.

Maria Schneider might not agree.

[MikeBiDude]

And I'm skeptical that using salted butter in most baked goods/recipes would really mess the dish up

Grrrrrr, thems' fighting words!!

[AdamSmith]

Grrrrrr, thems' fighting words!!

Hear, hear! If you possess more than one taste bud, salted butter will make almost any dessert inedible.

[gallahadesquire]

I don't know that I've had fancy French butter, but I know my experience from normal American butter is that unsalted is fairly tasteless. And I'm skeptical that using salted butter in most baked goods/recipes would really mess the dish up. I'm willing to believe that there might be a few extremely fussy recipes where the difference between salted butter and unsalted makes a difference. But I'm not sure I'll ever be a fancy enough cook to cook those.

 

Gman

 

Grrrrrr, thems' fighting words!!

 

In theory, if you knew how much salt was in the butter, you could accommodate. However, in many recipes, I do believe [? source?] that the amount of salt in salted butter is far more than the amount in most baking recipes.

 

Salted butter is an abomination from another time.

[Epigonos]

Well I guess I have only one taste bud!!!!!

Nearly every recipe (including pastry ones) call for a teaspoon (more or less) of salt. If I'm using salted butter and I'm concerned about too much salt, which I'm usually not, I cut back on the amount of salt the recipe calls for.

[MikeBiDude]

In theory, if you knew how much salt was in the butter, you could accommodate. However, in many recipes, I do believe [? source?] that the amount of salt in salted butter is far more than the amount in most baking recipes.

 

Salted butter is an abomination from another time.

BTW my comments were based on unsalted butter in baking....there is food chemistry besides flavor palettes going on

[body2body]

In France butter must have a minimum butterfat content of 82 percent, some of the finest French butter has a butterfat content as high as 86 percent. The French butter producers also allow their milk to ferment slightly after pasteurization which gives the butter a tangy,slightly acidic taste. There are now American producers making butter in the "European style". The USDA only requires a butterfat content of 80 percent on Butter. Salted butter is available in France as demi-sel, which has only an 80 percent butterfat content. It is used only as a spread, and never for cooking.

[+ Gar1eth]

 

Salted butter is an abomination from another time.

 

I reiterate-unsalted butter, in my experience is tasteless. On the other hand perhaps you will understand me better if I tell you that as a child, and still sometimes today, I would add enough Worcestershire sauce to a glass of tomato juice that the juice would turn brown.

 

Gman

[AdamSmith]

BTW my comments were based on unsalted butter in baking....there is food chemistry besides flavor palettes going on

The Cake Bible is a priceless resource about all that:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Cake-Bible-Rose-Levy-Beranbaum/dp/0688044026#nav-top

[AdamSmith]

In France butter must have a minimum butterfat content of 82 percent, some of the finest French butter has a butterfat content as high as 86 percent. The French butter producers also allow their milk to ferment slightly after pasteurization which gives the butter a tangy,slightly acidic taste. There are now American producers making butter in the "European style". The USDA only requires a butterfat content of 80 percent on Butter. Salted butter is available in France as demi-sel, which has only an 80 percent butterfat content. It is used only as a spread, and never for cooking.

One reason for the generally poor, thin quality of US dairy products is widespread use of Holsteins, which produce copious quantities of not very rich milk. Some organic dairies are moving back to breeds such as Guernseys that give less but much better product.

[whipped guy]

 

Regarding Olive Oil: EVOo is not the best for cooking. Regular olive oil has a higher smoke point.

 

Obviously one is not going to use EVO to make French fries! However, when used in all other cooking applicatons such as sautéing I have never had an issue, and EVO is the only oil that I ever have in the house.

 

Interestingly, a very high quality low acidity EVO has a higher smoke point than regular EVO. Virgin is higher and as noted regular cold pressed olive oil can go even higher. Pomace which you don't want to use because it is the bottom of the barrel and contains carcinogens because it is pressed with heat has an even higher smoke point. Now that brings us to the main point. When olive oil reaches its smoking point carcinogenic free radicals are produced and that obviously should be avoided. Some oils and obviously butter have an even lower smoke point.

 

So as with all things EVO when used responsibly is fine.

[+ Gar1eth]

Obviously one is not going to use EVO to make French fries! However, when used in all other cooking applicatons such as sautéing I have never had an issue, and EVO is the only oil that I ever have in the house.

 

Interestingly, a very high quality low acidity EVO has a higher smoke point than regular EVO. Virgin is higher and as noted regular cold pressed olive oil can go even higher. Pomace which you don't want to use because it is the bottom of the barrel and contains carcinogens because it is pressed with heat has an even higher smoke point. Now that brings us to the main point. When olive oil reaches its smoking point carcinogenic free radicals are produced and that obviously should be avoided. Some oils and obviously butter have an even lower smoke point.

 

So as with all things EVO when used responsibly is fine.

 

I have read that the idea that there are carcinogens in olive oil when it reaches its smoke point might be wrong-that there are studies that disprove it.

 

Gman

[whipped guy]

I have read that the idea that there are carcinogens in olive oil when it reaches its smoke point might be wrong-that there are studies that disprove it.

 

Gman

Well I hope that's the case. Still, I would never buy Pomace Olive Oil as studies have shown that they do contain carcinogens. Plus it tastes like crapola!

 

Actually from what I read some have foolishly claimed that simply heating olive oil creates free radicals and hence carcinogens. Now that tidbit of information is crapola.

 

Now I still would be hesitant to go beyond the smoking point and for one obvious reason... it would totally destroy the product, and kill the flavor! Who would want to eat something burned to a crisp and would taste awful. Not I!!! Plus I would not take the chance that it might kill me!!!

 

(Though who knows? Some might like the charred flavor... Heck I'm told that some crazies even think that pain is pleasure... so go figure!)

[+ deej]

Salted butter is an abomination from another time.

 

Salt in most salted butter (in the US) is added as a preservative. Unsalted butter left unrefrigerated (on the table, for example) will go rancid much more quickly than salted butter. It pre-dates the era when most homes had refrigeration. So, yes, you're right in a way. But that does not mean it has no value or use.

 

I like to cook (and eat) and keep both in the refrigerator and use each when necessary. Baking is basically alchemy. If the recipe calls for unsalted butter I'll use it. When I saute shrimp with some butter, garlic, and olive oil, I'll use salted butter.

 

Just because something is old and from another era it doesn't automatically become useless. Look at most of us!

[+ deej]

I have read that the idea that there are carcinogens in olive oil when it reaches its smoke point might be wrong-that there are studies that disprove it.

 

Carcinogens or no, no oil tasted good when it burns.

 

If you need an oil to use at that high a temperature use grape seed oil. It has no flavor and a much higher smoke (or flame) point, and it's healthier than vegetable oil. You end up tasting the fried chicken instead of the oil.