Olive Virgin Oil
Cheese
Iberian Ham
Wines
Before start, is good to know something pretty
importan, "What means DO?":
EU agricultural product quality policy:
Quality is an issue for every farmer and buyer,
whether dealing with commodities produced to basic standards or with the
high-end quality products in which Europe excels. EU farmers must build on high
quality reputation to sustain competitiveness and profitability.
EU law lays down stringent requirements
guaranteeing the standards of all European products. In addition, EU quality
schemes identify products and foodstuffs farmed and produced to exacting
specifications.
Specific EU quality schemes - guaranteeing
quality
Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and
Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for:
- agricultural farm products and foodstuffs
- wine and spirits
Traditional Speciality Guaranteed (TSG) for:
- agricultural farm products and foodstuffs
So, thru this blog you will find only info about
DO products form Spain.
Discover Olive Oil
Nowadays, olive trees are grown in different parts of the world, but they maintain their special link with the Mediterranean Sea, the most important olive oil production area in the world.
And within this area, Spain is the first producer and exporter. The range of aromas and tastes of olive oil varies depending on the olive variety and crop conditions, and
the huge diversity of autochthonous varieties and production systems present in Spain result in a olive oil range unique in the world.
Extra virgin olive oil is olive juice. It is the only oil among those usually found at the market obtained from fresh fruit without the use of solvents. It is therefore an entirely natural product whose outstanding aroma and taste come directly from the fruit.
Even though olive oil has been produced and consumed at the Mediterranean Basin for millenniums, its knowledge and consumption worldwide have intensified in the last thirty years, and nowadays olive oil is one of the most appreciated edible oils both for its nutritional values and for its important gastronomic qualities. Its high contents in monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamin E, natural antioxidants and other nutrients make medical science consider it one of the healthiest oils available. Its extraordinary aroma and taste, as well as its high stability and the versatility of its uses have been recognised by consumers and professionals from the food field worldwide.
QUALITY CRITERIA
Extra virgin olive oil is a natural product, a real “fruit juice” and as such it represents a series of wholesome and quality values characteristic of this certain oil.
Virgin olive oil is a juice obtained from the fruit, at its optimum ripeness, of healthy olive trees. It is obtained from fresh fruit in an optimum ripeness and conservation state after its harvest and transport and is then transformed at the mill after a minimal period, under strict control and quality criteria.
The final quality of the product thus obtained depends on a combination of factors in addition to the ones previously mentioned: climate conditions during the campaign, type of land, care in the production, harvest, transport and production processes, and its storage and bottling.
The quality of the olive oil does not depend on the olive variety used.
The quality of extra virgin olive oil is determined mainly by two criteria: physicochemical processes and organoleptic characteristics (aroma and taste), defined by experts through sensory or tasting analysis.
Olive oil is subject of quality controls in every phase of the producing process. Controls are carried out at the mills in order to establish the yield of the olive and its acidity level. Temperature is also controlled during the production process, as well as conservation, bottling and transport conditions.
TASTING
Nowadays, olive oil tasting is increasingly popular among gastronomic enthusiasts, as it is a pleasant and agreeable way of exploring the different aroma and taste subtleties of the product.
In Spain, where we have such a wide olive oil range, this experience can be great fun.
Each olive, coming from a tree adapted to a certain land and climate characteristics, produces a variety of olive oil with specific physicochemical and organoleptic characteristics.
Therefore, olive oil of the same variety produced in different geographical areas can present different aroma and taste. Likewise, one olive variety may produce oil of different characteristics depending on the fruit’s ripeness in harvest time. There may also be variations in the aroma and taste from one year to another, depending on the conditions of each campaign.
Tasting is necessary to establish the character and personality of virgin olive oil. Each olive oil has a characteristic aroma and taste. It is important to be aware of the fact that colour is not the only factor that reflects the quality of the product. Therefore, professional tasters use dark blue crystal glasses so as to not be influenced by the shade of the product.
When tasting, the aroma of olive oil can be appreciated by slightly heating up the glass and breathing its emanations several times to identify them with vegetable smells (fresh cut grass, apple, green almond, etc).
As for taste, a small quantity is enough to appreciate olive oil’s taste. Mouth can reveal the bitterness or itch, positive attributes of the product. Oil is usually first tasted in the top of the tongue. Subsequently, by slowly and continually breathing in, it slips to the palate and then down the throat. Either bread or green apple may be used between each tasting to clean the mouth.
The terms used in virgin olive oil tasting somehow remind to wine tasting. Good olive oil should be balanced and harmonic. They are described in general terms such as fruity (green or ripe), spicy, bitter or sweet or in more specific terms such as grass, green leaves or other references to vegetables (artichoke, tomato…) and fruit (almond, apple, banana).
Commercial Categories
VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Virgin olive oil can only be obtained through mechanical or other physical processes from the fruit of olive trees. They do not undergo any treatment in addition to washing, decanting, centrifugation and/or filtration.
Virgin olive oil is divided in extra virgin, virgin and lampante olive oil. Only extra virgin and virgin olive oil can be used for direct consumption.
The following are olive oils available in the market:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: First-class olive oil directly obtained from the fruit through mechanical processes. It presents an excellent aroma and taste and its acidity is below 0.8º (in compliance with current regulation).
Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil directly obtained from the fruit and just through mechanical processes. It presents good aroma and taste and acidity below 2º (in compliance with current regulation).
The third type of virgin olive oil, Lampante Olive Oil, due to unfavourable climate conditions, over- or under-ripeness or defective production processes, presents a high acidity level (above 2º) or a defective taste and smell and must therefore undergo a refining process in order to correct said flaws.
OLIVE OIL - CONTAINS EXCLUSIVELY REFINED AND VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Lampante olive oil must undergo a refining process in order to remove possible defective smells or tastes and to reduce its acidity level.
Some virgin olive oils, because of their commercial strategy, also undergo refining processes.
This is the process used to obtain Refined Olive Oil. It conserves its basic chemical structure and is then added a certain quantity of Virgin Olive Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which contributes with its aroma and taste, to obtain “olive oil – contains exclusively…”. The acidity of these olive oils, by law, must be less than or equal to 1º.
OLIVE - POMACE OIL
Olive-pomace oil is the solid sub-product or paste obtained in the virgin olive oil production process after the pressing or centrifugation. Raw Pomace Oil is obtained when this sub-product undergoes physical (centrifugation) or chemical (with solvents) treatments. It must then undergo a refining process, similar to that of lampante olive oil, to become Refined Olive Oil. A percentage of virgin or extra virgin olive oil is added so that it reaches the commercial category of Olive Pomace Oil, with acidity inferior or equal to 1º.
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