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Olive Oil, Nectar Of The Mediterranean |
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 For millennia, olive oil has sublimated Mediterranean cuisine. It has conquered other countries, acquiring, along the way, a reputation as a universal cure-all. It owes its success to its exceptional flavour, culinary qualities and the health benefits it provides.
Olive oil has been known since ancient times. The Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used it in their cooking and preparation of beauty products. This being the case, it is clear that the Mediterranean is the natural, economic and spiritual birthplace of the olive tree. Solidly planted in the ground, with its gnarled trunk, it has silvery leaves that tremble with the slightest breeze and is ever present in the Mediterranean landscape. This mythical tree is considered blessed as it is mentioned in the holy Koran. Furthermore, an olive branch is the symbol of peace. Its fruits absorb the warmth of the summer so as to provide, each autumn, fleshy, shiny olives bursting with sunshine. The influence of this eternal tree of the Mediterranean has gone beyond its regional origins and has taken root in other lands, among which Australia and Japan , to take on a global importance.
TASTING
Olive oil is the fat extracted from olives (fruit of the olive tree) by grinding with a stone or an olive mill and is used principally in Mediterranean cuisine. The organoleptic characteristics (capability of affecting a sensory organ) of olive oil vary depending on its terroir, local agricultural practices, olive variety and degree of maturity when harvested. These are grouped into three main categories:
Taste: bitterness, the only flavour that olive oil presents, is determined during tasting.
Aroma: the ensemble of oil aromas represent its fruitiness. Tasting also reveals its intensity.
Mouthfeel: Olive oil can present specific sensations such as sharpness and varying degrees of smoothness.
BUY SMART
To safely buy olive oil, it is important to be aware of the various olive oil classifications and to know what is behind the various appellations. The different categories of olive oil receive a denomination according to criteria determined by the different olive growing countries.
- Virgin olive oils are obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical processes that do not alter the oil. It is understood that the only treatment undergone by the olives are washing, decanting and filtration by natural methods without the use of any solvents, chemicals or other products.
This gives pure olive liquid and the lower the percentage of acidity, the better the quality of the oil. Oils are classified in descending order:
Extra virgin olive oil
Virgin olive oil
Lampante virgin olive oil
Refined olive oils are obtained by the industrial refinement of virgin olive oils. Blended olive oils are made with refined olive oil and virgin oils other than lampante.
HOW TO STORE
Olive oil keeps best if it is stored in a cool place away from the light. Ideally, it should be stored in an opaque glass container. Olive oil spoils more slowly thanks to its low level of iodine: 78/88 as oposed to 83/98 for peanut oil and 120/132 for sunflower oil. It is, however, recommended to consume it within 2 years of its fabrication. Olive oil contains 99% fat, the remaining 1% being made up of minor elements.
Defects recognized by professionals are:
Oxidisation that gives the oil a rancid taste.
Mould that comes from fermentation of olives left too long in piles after harvest.
Fermentation of particles of pulp in non filtered oils.
These defects result from lack of attention to detail during fabrication that sometimes causes a lack of the “bitter and sharp” qualities that a good olive oil should have.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Olive oil is the pillar of the Mediterranean cuisine that does not use any other oils. It is therefore used in almost every dish. Olive oil can be used to season raw or cooked salads, in the preparation of pasta sauces – especially those containing tomato. It is also used for frying though it is recommended not to heat it to over 210°C .
BENEFITS OF OLIVE OIL.
The famous Cretan diet
Since ancient times, olive oil was rightly valued as a beauty product. It is also full of therapeutic qualities that treat and prevent many diseases. The culinary and dietetic virtues of olive oil have been come to light through the famous “Cretan diet”. Virgin olive oil, thanks to its extraction by cold pressing, leaves particles in suspension which give it its therapeutic qualities. Olive oil is rich in anti oxidants (such as Vitamin E and polyphenols) that aid in the prevention of cardio vascular disease, cancer and aging. It is also rich in mono unsaturated fatty acids which, unlike saturated fats (present in butter, meat and cheese… ) reduce the levels of the “bad” cholesterol that clogs arteries. In particular, it contains oleic acid that stimulates the production of bile and ensures good digestion. Recent medical studies have brought olive oil back into fashion as it is the basis of the famous “Cretan diet” that enables one to live longer and better. This diet consists of fruit, vegetables, grains and fish with olive oil. Cretans are the greatest consumers of olive oil with 25 litres per person per year and their mortality rate from cardiovascular disease is 95% lower than that of Americans.
Amina Boudraa
Copyright saveursetcuisinedumaroc.com N° 20
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