It may seem contradictory, but the cost of living crisis hasn’t harmed our love for extra virgin olive oil (produced by cold-pressing olives without heat or chemicals). That it’s seen as a healthy fat is no doubt a key reason.
But it’s not just health driving our hunger for liquid gold. Home cooks are becoming more experimental, using olive oil not just for dressings but in sweet and savoury baking. “Customers are also appreciating the standalone flavour of olive oil, and therefore investing a little more in a bottle to ensure the very best quality, perfect for dunking fresh sourdough or drizzling over a homemade salad,” says Elinor Griffin, oils buyer at Waitrose.
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While regular olive oil is good for frying, most cooks save extra virgin olive oil, which is more expensive, for finishing off a dish, whether dressing a salad or pouring over vegetables.
Greek bottles are more grassy and not too spicy – ideal for salad. Portuguese oils, which are harder to find in supermarkets, are light and mild, making them perfect for fish, while Italian oils vary by region. Puglian oils can be peppery and intense, while Sicilian and Tuscan are less spicy.
Vachon argues that brands like Citizens of Soil “care more about provenance, the people behind it, and they’re also getting educated on the quality indicators”. Bottles that cost upwards of £20 – sometimes for half a litre – are made with less intensively farmed olives, often using organic or regenerative methods that look after the soil and biodiversity. They’ll usually pick earlier in the season, which means yields are lower but the flavour and nutrition is superior and be shipped in temperature-controlled containers, which are more expensive but preserve the oil’s quality.
Nevertheless, olive oil continues to be a staple on our shelves, and here are 13 options available in supermarkets, blind tasted, across a range of prices and profiles. (It’s worth noting that while tasting on their own, a peppery oil that might be overpowering on a teaspoon might shine in a vinaigrette, for example.)
Very viscous, it’s initially quite mellow then becomes quite peppery. It’s almost a bit salty, too. Ultimately a very nice oil for the price. Made with a blend of European olive oils.
Aldi’s Solesta oil is initially mellow but becomes peppery and salty (Photo: Aldi)Bio Orto Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Monocultivar Ogliarola
This oil, made from ogliarola olives in Italy, is on the thinner side, texture wise. It’s quite fruity, tasting distinctly olivey, with only a hint of spice. Not the most flavoursome, but it’s perfectly nice.
A strong grassy scent, this oil is initially mellow before taking on a spicy finish. Made with a mix of Sicilian olives, it is thick and luscious, making it a delicious oil.
Il Casolare Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Smells incredibly fruity, has a thick, almost sticky viscosity – perhaps as it’s unfiltered, giving it a slightly cloudier colour – but tastes mild, clean and pleasant. A good one for salads.
This has a grassy green colour and a bright, almost citrussy flavour with a mild pepperiness. It’s on the more watery side, texture wise, but tastes fresh.
Specially Selected Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This PDO olive oil from Puglia is intense: grassy, bitter, overpoweringly peppery. Some will find it a challenge if consumed on its own, but for cooking and dressings that shouldn’t be an issue.
Relatively watery compared to some. There’s a bit of grassiness and pepperiness to the taste, but overall it’s a little bland, with little olive flavour.
Primadonna Extra Virgin Olive Oil BEST AFFORDABLE BUY
Remarkably, it almost smells like it’s had vinegar and lemon added to it already. It tastes beautiful, like marinated olives from a jar. It is mild but intensely flavoursome and quite creamy. Made with Spanish olives.
Lidl’s Primadonna Olive Oil is the best value for money (Photo: Lidl)Another PDO oil, this Greek number is peppery but not overpowering. It is delicate, fruity, and nicely balanced. It won’t wow you when dipping bread in oil, but it’s a great all-rounder.
Deluxe Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Although it comes in a pretty bottle with a handle and a stopper, it’s one of the least flavoursome, and overly bitter and spicy, like eating the seeds of a red pepper.
Made from Spanish olives, this has remarkable citrussy notes, like someone’s made an olive oil and grapefruit dressing. It’s got a good, thick viscosity, but not overly so, and the grassy citrussy notes give it a slight sourness. A very nice oil.
Olive Branch Greek Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This has a slightly harsh flavour, which hits the back of the throat instantly and is almost a bit petrolly.
M&S Nocellara Del Belice Extra Virgin Olive Oil BEST EXPENSIVE BUY
An intensely olivey smell, the taste is quite sweet and mild, with a delicate pepperiness at the end. This is very pleasant and well balanced, and would cap off meat, vegetable or pasta dishes beautifully.
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