The Passionate Olive Read Online Free PDF

tasters, meets to taste and judge. At this competition, the Sensory Assessment profile analysis is used to award gold, silver, and bronze medals for extra virgin olive oil. The late Dr. Mario Solinas, a former professor at the University of Perugia, developed the assessment analysis several years ago. He was the first researcher to provide a common approachin defining and analyzing the positive aspects and qualities of extra virgin olive oil.
    Still a Bit Confused?
    Stick to extra virgin olive oil for fine cooking. A true connoisseur of olive oil knows that extra virgin is the best in terms of quality and taste. It should exhibit an “olive fruity” taste, ranging from light to medium to intense. Just as wines vary according to varietals of grapes, climatic conditions, and soil attributes, olives, too, have many varying qualities that affect the oil they ultimately produce. There are, as well, the variations in color and in taste, due to the time of harvest, different methods of oil extraction, the regions and climatic conditions, and different olive cultivars.
    There are approximately 2,500 types of olives worldwide, 431 in Italy alone. In each growing region (note, I did not say country) there are distinctive cultivars. For example, the most well-known olives for olive oil production in central Italy around Tuscany, Umbria, and the Marche are Frantoio, Leccino, Pendolino, and Moraiolo olives. In Liguria, it is the Taggiasca; in southern Italy, around Puglia, Abruzzo, and Molise, are the Coratina and Ogliarola olives; and in Sicily, the Giraffa and Nocellera olives. In Greece, in the Peloponnesus, the Kalamata (Kalamon) olive reigns supreme; and on Crete, it is the Koroneiki. In Catalonia, Spain, the Arbequina is the popular olive grown for oil production; in southern Spain, the Hojiblanca is common; but the Picual accounts for over 50 percent of the olives grown in Spain (the world’s largest olive oil-producingcountry). When any of these olive trees are grown in different geographic regions (for example, in California), they may produce slightly different flavors.
    So How Do You Decide?
    With all of the olive oil products on the market, it is good to become familiar with the various labeling descriptors. Remember to look for the “use by” date. Once opened, olive oil should optimally be used within sixty to ninety days. Always check for the country of origin (of the olives and the oil) and look for specific seals or marks of authenticity. This can help you in your buying decisions. Also, more important, a reputable retailer can answer your questions and guide you.
    Yet in the end, even after all the tasting, testing, reading, studying, and discussing … what tastes, smells, looks, and feels best to you is the olive oil you should use and enjoy.
    You May Ask, But What Types of Olive Oil Do I Use and When?
    As you read other chapters of The Passionate Olive: 101 Things to Do with Olive Oil , you will notice frequent references to the classification or type of olive oil to use in agiven recipe or formula. I find the best rule of thumb is to use extra virgin olive oil for cooking, for that morning tablespoon (more about that later), and for most applications directly on the skin—whether adult, baby, or pet. Extra virgin olive oil is superior in terms of quality and taste and antioxidant benefits. For other health and beauty uses, including those on the hair, in the bath, or in the ears, a virgin olive oil or olive oil can be used. Of course, extra virgin olive oil works for these uses as well; that’s what I usually use. For tasks in and around the house, use a refined and less-expensive olive oil. I have also included a chart of Suggested Types of Olive Oil for 100 Uses and a chart of Suggested Types of Olive Oil for Cooking in the Olive Oil Usage Guidelines section of the book.
    In subsequent chapters, food recipes and formulas are shaded. An iconwith a bottle of olive oil surrounded by vegetables designates a