All the words about extra virgin olive oil
The ABCs of extra virgin olive oil: what are the main terms used in this sector's specific vocabulary?
Beyond the more well-known and commonly used terms like frantoio, ulivo , olio oliva, and extra virgin olive oil (we've already discussed the difference between them), let's take a look at the most common words in the olive oil sector, but whose meanings not everyone knows!
Oleic acid
Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid characterized by the presence of only one double bond between two carbon atoms in its chemical structure. It is one of the omega-9 fatty acids, so called because the double bond is located on the ninth carbon atom, starting from the last atom in the chain, known as the omega carbon. Nutritionally, oleic acid is abundant in olive oil, which is the main dietary source of this fatty acid.
Its quantity is influenced by latitude: that is, the composition of the oil is influenced by the soil and climate conditions of the area and the expression of the cultivar.
Biophenols
The biophenols found in olive oil are natural chemical compounds with antioxidant properties that provide numerous health benefits. These compounds include simple phenols, such as tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol, and more complex phenolic compounds, such as oleuropein and ligstroside.
Blend
A blend is defined as an extra virgin olive oil made by combining different extra virgin olive oils used in different percentages.
This practice is considered an art, as it highlights the miller's skill and represents his distinctive mark in the production process.
If the blend were a combination of olives, it would more precisely be called olivaggio: an example is the D'Orazio Blend. Cultivar
The term "cultivar" is frequently used in the olive growing field and comes from the contraction of the English "cultivated variety." It indicates the various types of cultivated olives , which are generally linked to specific geographical areas. Drupa
The olive drupe is a type of fruit that has a fleshy, juicy pulp (mesocarp), a thin skin (exocarp), and a woody stone (endocarp) containing a single bony seed.
Discontinuous mill
The distinctive feature of discontinuous mills is the use of traditional stone wheels, known as millstones . These wheels are used during the pressing phase, in which the olives are crushed: the olives are broken to release the oil contained in the vacuoles (cells present in the drupe).
Filtration
Oil filtration, sometimes improperly called filtering, is not a manufacturing process but a physical process that allows the separation of micro droplets of water and microscopic residues of pulp remaining in suspension from the oil.
Over time, these small impurities, if not removed, tend to settle on the bottom forming a sediment called “sludge”, responsible for a sensory defect known as “sludge defect”.
The goal of filtration is to give greater stability to the extra virgin olive oil, in fact it reduces the degradation of the fatty part.
Fiscolo
The fiscolo is a filter container in which the ground olives are placed before being pressed.
More precisely, although they are defined as containers in the definitions, they are actually discs of coconut fiber, now they are made of 100% food-grade synthetic polypropylene fiber.
Crushing
Crushing is the process in which olives are crushed to create a coarse paste composed of peel (epicarp), pulp (mesocarp), and stones (endocarp). These elements act as drainage agents, thus facilitating the subsequent separation of the oil from the paste.
Crushing is a very important stage in the production process for determining and obtaining aromatic profiles in the oil.
Oil mill worker
The miller is the person responsible for the complete management of the mill, and is also known as the master oil maker.
At Frantoio D'Orazio our mill worker is Francesco D'Orazio , a master oil maker who since he was twenty has made his own what cannot be learned from books.
He then combined experience, field research, curiosity, and experimentation with a great deal of courage, becoming a point of reference for farmers and customers.
Because to make quality oil you need a skilled and honest miller, as well as high-quality olives.
Kneading
Malaxation, also known as kneading, is a step that occurs after pressing and is crucial to the production process. Its goal is to break the emulsion between water and oil, allowing the oil micelles to coalesce into larger droplets that naturally separate from the water: this process is known as oil coalescence.
Millstone
This term refers to the large stone mill used to crush the olives during the phase known as milling.
Lamp oil
Lampante oil is a type of oil considered virgin, as it is obtained through the mechanical extraction of olives.
However, it has a high acidity level and can be unpleasant to both the palate and the nose. Therefore, lampante oil is not suitable for consumption.
Stripping
The term " stripping " is also used in olive oil tasting and refers to a series of short, repeated inhalations through the mouth: a small amount of oil is introduced into the mouth, held between the lower lip and clenched teeth, and the air is drawn in with initially gentle and then stronger suctions, vaporizing it all over the tongue and the entire mouth to taste it.
This process serves to distribute the oil in the oral cavity and oxygenate it, allowing you to better perceive its volatile aromatic components.
The oil taster's lexicon
Just like sommeliers and passionate wine tasters, oil tasters also have a specific vocabulary they use to describe its color and flavor.
Even if the colour, as mentioned, is not indicative of the quality of the extra virgin olive oil, its clarity (characteristic of unfiltered oil) can be appreciated: it is said to be “clear” or cloudy or cloudy otherwise.
Similarly, you can find terms such as: straw yellow, golden yellow, leaf green or by intensity such as light, bright or intense color.
Moving on to the tactile characteristics of the oil's unctuousness, we find:
- Sliding
- Oily
- Viscous
- Fluid
- Coarse
Positive attributes to describe extra virgin olive oil
Fruity in relation to the notes perceived by smell using specific terms to describe the notes:
- Unripe
- Artichoke
- Grass
- Aromatic herbs
- Floral
- Olive leaf
- Exotic fruit
- Almond
- Apple
- Walnuts
- Pine nut
- Tomato
For the taste:
- Bitter
- Spicy
Negative attributes of extra virgin olive oil
When an extra virgin olive oil is not good, there are many ways to describe its defects.
Here is a list of all the negative attributes of extra virgin olive oil:
- Warming : it is perceived in oil obtained from piled olives that have undergone an advanced degree of anaerobic fermentation.
- Mold - humidity : it is found in oil obtained from olives that have remained piled up for many days and in humid environments, with the formation of fungi and yeasts.
- Sludge : found in oil that has remained in contact with settling sludge.
- Winey - vinegary : it is found in some oils that have hints reminiscent of wine or vinegar, due to a fermentation process in the olives that leads to the formation of acetic acid, ethyl acetate and ethanol.
- Metallic : found in oil that has been in contact with metal surfaces for a long time during the grinding of olives, the kneading of the olive paste, pressing or storage.
- Rancid : found in oils that have undergone a strong oxidative process.
- Cooked : found in oil that has undergone excessive and/or prolonged heating during milling operations, especially during thermo-kneading, if this occurs under unsuitable thermal conditions.
- Hay - wood: typical of some oils derived from dried olives.
- Coarse : The thick, pasty oral/tactile sensation.
- Lubricant : A flavor reminiscent of diesel, grease, or mineral oil.
- Vegetable water : a flavor that the oil acquires due to prolonged contact with vegetable water.
- Brine : found in oil extracted from olives that resemble the flavor of olives preserved in brine.
- Esparto : characteristic flavor of oil obtained from olives pressed in new esparto mats.
- Earthy : found in oils whose olives were picked from the ground, muddy and unwashed.
- Worm : found in oil obtained from olives severely affected by olive fly larvae.
- Cucumber : a perception that is detected in oil during excessively prolonged hermetic storage, especially if stored in cans.
