Lettas Kraal Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 5 Litre

Description

WHAT IS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is an unrefined olive oil that exhibits pleasant fruity flavours, has no taste defects and meets certain standards in its chemical composition, thus qualifying it as extra virgin. It is crucial that extra virgin olive oil is made from olives that are picked just before they are completely ripe, pressed within hours of harvest and that the process goes no further than extraction and bottling. Extra virgin olive oils contain high amounts of nutrients and therefore provide great health benefits.

HOW TO RECOGNIZE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

The three main positive attributes looked at when classifying Extra Virgin Olive Oil are FRUITY, BITTER and PUNGENT.

FRUITY: Refers to the lovely spicy aroma, or nose of an Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

BITTER: The pleasant acrid sensation on the pallet and the tongue.

PUNGENT: That peppery kick at the back of the throat.

The typical attributes of Lettas Kraal Extra Virgin Olive Oil are fruit of ripe and green olives, olive leaf, artichoke (fresh grassy aroma) and tomato.

WHY BITTER IS BETTER

Olives fresh off the tree have an intensely bitter flavour; the stronger the bitterness in the aroma, the less processed and fresher the oil. This is an indication of the polyphenols still present in the oil, which is what makes olive oil beneficial to our health. The opposite of bitterness in Extra Virgin Olive Oil is rancidity.

RECOGNISE BAD OLIVE OIL

Some of the aromas that indicate that an olive oil has gone rancid or bad include the smell of old nuts, putty, hay, cardboard, vinegar or a definite trace of mustiness. You will also quickly pick-up the fatty/oily sensation it leaves in your mouth and your throat