The Potential Power of Skilled Tasters

Originally published in Spanish in Olimerca 2016

Flavour is the culinary difference between extra virgin olive oil and competing vegetable oils. Tasting is the primary method in describing the flavour and determining culinary use and whether the olive oil is defective. While chemical testing is progressing as a tool to determine flavour and defects – the skilled taster reigns.

Tasting is immediate, it describes the extra virgin olive oil as it is presented to the taster, whether for quality assessment or for a consumer who is selecting for use in cooking.

Every individual describes taste differently depending on their experience, their taste vocabulary and their ability to differentiate between the different elements of aroma and taste which make up the flavour. To even out the variations in taste descriptions between tasters, panels are trained. Panels that determine the classification of olive oils are accredited and have a pivotal role in determining the return to the producer and the authenticity to the consumer.

Panels are expensive to convene and take time to make determinations, time which often is not available to the buyer or blender who needs to make an immediate decision. Decisions on the quality and suitability of extra virgin olive oil are made daily all along the supply chain in the effort to deliver an authentic and attractive product to the consumer. This gives the individual taster the ultimate power in ensuring the integrity and value of extra virgin olive oil.

If the perception of the consumer is that the olive oil they are buying is defective or fraudulently presented, the tasters along the supply-chain must take responsibility. If they are well trained, knowledgeable and skilled they will have the confidence to reject sub-standard product. This decision on quality is too often deferred to the ‘quality assurance (QA)’ department and many defer responsibility in the pursuit of sales. In some cases this deference comes from a lack of knowledge and confidence, so QA departments would do well to assure the quality of the tasting skill of staff at all levels, as well as the quality of the product.

Why therefore is so little emphasis placed in some consuming countries on the training and rewarding of individual tasters at all levels in the industry. Every trader who handles olive oil; whether producer, importer, buyer, distributor or salesperson, should be a trained taster. Tasters should be ranked to encourage improvement and the highest ranked tasters coveted and financially rewarded.

Confidence in, and third-party recognition of, individual tasters will be the most powerful way to ensure the authenticity of extra virgin olive oil delivered to the consumer, and thereby increase sales. The skill of a taster could be assessed through technical taste tests and recognition of extra virgin olive oils from different varietals and regions. The score achieved in these standardised tests would lead to ranking and recognition on an international register.

Ranking and recognition will also go some way to rid the industry of those who claim to be ‘expert’ tasters and discredit products without foundation. Panels will still have their place in classification and be the ultimate determination of quality, well supported by individual tasters throughout the industry.

Simon Field
17 June 2016

Champion Extra Virgin Olive Oil Taster Competition

A competition to find the most accomplished taster of extra virgin olive oil will be staged in Chicago, USA on 26 August 2015.

Organised by International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes in association with the North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA), the competition will be open to all those attending a major event in Chicago planned for August 25 and 26, 2015.

Tasters will be invited to undertake a series of taste tests which will recognise their:

• ability to detect and describe defects in extra virgin olive oil,
• rank different intensities,
• discern between different aromas and tastes, and
• identify extra virgin olive oils from different varieties and regions worldwide.

 Those who take the tests will also have the option of being ranked on the International Register of Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes. A score of 60% will accord the status of Associate Savante and 80% the status of Savante. Currently there are nine Associate Savantes worldwide coming from Spain, Canada, New Zealand, USA and Jordan.

The International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Savantes programme was founded in 2001 to provide professional development towards the expert understanding of the tastes and uses of extra virgin olive oil. Courses are run annually in various countries including Italy, USA, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and United Kingdom.

Savantes is an independent enterprise which does not accept sponsorship or support from any organisation which would be seen to compromise the ability to present objectively the full range of styles of high quality extra virgin olive produced around the world. For the courses producers are invited to submit their oils for tasting with the invitations predicated on quality, awards and differentiation.

Principal and organiser of Savantes, Simon Field said when announcing the plans for the competition ’ This will present a great opportunity for tasters from all parts of the global olive industry to assess their skills, not only in technical tasting but also in recognising varietals from other regions’.

He continued, ‘There are many tasters at all levels of the industry who are self-trained or formally trained. Now is the time for them to have their skills recognised and publicised on an international register of tasters. We also hope it will encourage those who do not achieve the higher scores to engage in further training and experience to come back next year to gain higher recognition.’

Further details of the competition and Chicago Conference will be available through a link to www.savantes.com by the end of January. 

Greece Needs More Variety in Extra Virgin Offering

There is an opportunity for Greek extra virgin olive oil producers to diversify the range of Greek oils on offer. Most of the oils from the region come from the koreneiki variety, with a low percentage of other olive varieties mixed in. This results in a limited range of tastes, differentiation coming from harvest timing, altitude and agronomic but not varietal differences.

In a recent visit to Greece the writer tasted some oils ‘off the line’ from some varieties other than koreneiki. The extra virgin olive oils had different and equally attractive taste profiles as the koreneiki oils.

There are some difficulties in identifying the different varieties in old groves where they are intermingled. However, it may be worth the effort if the farmers were given an incentive to harvest the trees separately to produce a boutique olive oil which commands a premium price.

Olive Oil Exploration - Waiheke Island, New Zealand

Having visited extra virgin olive oil producers and tasted their oils in most regions of New Zealand it was time to visit the groves of Waiheke Island, just a half hour ferry ride from Auckland. The Maori name Waiheke means ‘cascading or descending waters’.

Extra virgin olive oils from this region have received much publicity through winning many awards over recent years.

With some online research and the help of brochures we set off with a stream of day trippers with a sunny day complimenting the cool sea breeze washing over the ferry. As the skyline of Auckland faded and we weaved our way through many islands including the volcanic cone of Rangitoto, we sighted Waiheke with its green rolling hills and rocky coastline. The ferry docked neatly into the terminal at Matiatia Bay and off poured the day trippers, trampers and wine enthusiasts, interspersed with the locals kitted out in the casual New Zealand uniform of cargo pants and jandles.