How to know the quality of olive oil .. Try it now
The director of the Italian olive growers association “Unaprol” and the founder of the oil-tasting school, Nicolas de Noia, confirmed. The appropriate olive oil will help in strengthening the immune system. It can be chosen by smell.
The expert revealed the role of the oil in enhancing immunity and fighting diseases. Including infection with the Coronavirus on the occasion of the Olive Tree Day approved by UNESCO last year on November 26.
He told "Sputnik": "High-quality olive oil is rich in antioxidants - polyphenols, which help strengthen the body's defense system. I am not a doctor, but I am sure all scientific studies in the world say that extra virgin oil improves immunity. But not all olive oil has enough polyphenols, which are essential for health. The oil rich in it can be discovered through the taste and smell.
He created a school for tasters of olive oil, which is a kind of "sommelier" of this staple food product.
The expert added: “In our school, we not only train consumers, but also professionals who can then work with farmers. Polyphenol oil has a vegetable smell: it smells like fresh grass, almonds or tomatoes, and its taste is slightly bitter and spicy.
According to him, it is enough to take a sample, 10 milliliters of oil, which must be poured into a small cup that resembles a cup of coffee.
At the same time, de Noya emphasized, it would be a mistake to choose the oil by color: "A good product can be green or yellow." Most importantly, the bottle is made of dark glass - “oil is afraid of light”.
De Noia said: “The main enemies of oil are heat, oxygen and light. It reduces levels of antioxidants and thus the benefit of the body ”.
He indicated that different types of oil must be chosen for a particular food. “Bitter oil, for example, is combined with meat - its sweetness compensates for the bitterness of the oil. Lighter varieties are suitable for salads. We need to learn how to choose the oil the same way we do with red or white wine: pasta and steaks suit the oil with a rich taste, it is better to serve vegetables and fish with vegetable oil.
Talking about the last harvest, he said that olives in Italy are 30% less than last year. The reason for the decline in production was the dry weather. “On the other hand, the quality of the product turned out to be excellent due to the lack of rain itself - for example, there were no harmful insects,” said de Noia.
He added that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the olive industry as well. “Coronavirus is killing restaurant purchases, who usually take high-quality oil. Fortunately, despite the hiatus in the restaurant industry, we're seeing strong sales direct from manufacturers. Companies have adapted in this regard to online shopping with home delivery. ”
The expert added that cases of infection with the Coronavirus can negatively affect the collection and cultivation of olives: “The tree needs professional care - the crop cannot be harvested by those who have not done so before.”
He said farmers should organize work in a way that avoids crowds of people on farms and in production.
De Noia concluded, “This of course slowed down the process, but the fact that the yield was smaller helped us a little. The size of the harvest last year would have created more problems for us. ”
