You probably missed it, but about a month ago, the International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition took place in Los Angeles. For some reason, the Chronicle didn’t really say much about until today’s article from the always-excellent Olivia Wu. The competition included 22 world-class judges, 400 entrees and a host of gold medals, as the event has quickly evolved into the world’s foremost gathering of top notch olive oils. This year, California oils represented the domestic crop quite well. In the foreign category (domestic and foreign are separated in the LA fair), Italy won 15 golds, edging Spain’s 11 and New Zealand’s 8.
U.S. olive oil coming into its own [SFGate]
Watching one panel at work, I was struck by the sounds of tasting. Some judges aerated the olive oils with many short, staccato intakes of breath before swallowing. Others drew in one long, sustained slurp. Quite frequently a cough followed the inhalation, a normal sign of the pungency striking the back of the throat.Pungency and bitterness are positive attributes in olive oil, but they must be within the bounds of the class – delicate, medium or robust – and of the varietal.
You probably missed it, but about a month ago, the International Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition took place in Los Angeles. For some reason, the Chronicle didn’t really say much about until today’s article from the always-excellent Olivia Wu. The competition included 22 world-class judges, 400 entrees and a host of gold medals, as the event has quickly evolved into the world’s foremost gathering of top notch olive oils. This year, California oils represented the domestic crop quite well. In the foreign category (domestic and foreign are separated in the LA fair), Italy won 15 golds, edging Spain’s 11 and New Zealand’s 8.
U.S. olive oil coming into its own [SFGate]
