ABSTRACT
Domestic and Other Uses Olive oil, a food staple in the warmer regions around the Mediterranean Sea, is now becoming popular throughout Europe and in the United States, Canada, and other countries. is is due to its highly characteristic flavor but also to the promotion of the health benefits of Mediterranean dietary patterns. Olive oil has a remarkable stability and can be stored for 18 months or more. e resistance to development of rancidity is combined with a vast array of flavor and color hues and distinct features depending on the cultivar of olives from which the oil is extracted. ese virtues offer opportunities for a variety of culinary applications with very little or no processing. Anyone coming from the Mediterranean region of the world could tell about the flavor of a good dose of olive oil on salads, fish, vegetables, and almost everything else. Olive oil contributes complex flavors that are reflected throughout the whole dish and adds body and depth to food. A good quality olive oil blends perfectly with the greens. Traditional vegetable dishes are prepared with seasonal vegetables, pulses, and grains. Although very old, these recipes contain wisely balanced ingredients and meet health criteria as defined by modern science. In vegetarian dishes olive oils with herbal hues are usually preferred. For salad, a pronounced hint of apple is suitable, while for grilled meats a peppery flavor is desirable. Other dishes such as pies, mayonnaise, fried eggs, etc require different hues for those who can go deep into sensorial characteristics like mouthful, bouquet, taste, aftertaste, etc., and have developed their own personal preferences. “Freshly cut grass flavor,” “flowery aroma,” “pepperiness,” and other such comments are very likely to be heard not only in oil-tasting parties but even in common discussions of consumers with a sophisticated palate. One has to stress also that differences in soil, climate, cultivar, year, maturity of the fruit, and processing conditions hardly allow for two identical olive oils. e chefs have already understood that, as with wine, each extra virgin olive oil has its very own identity.
