Buona domenica from Florence!
Bitterness – amaro – is such a keystone of Italian taste – think Campari or Trevigiano Radicchio.
Bitterness is, of course, a positive and desirable criteria for Extra Virgin Olive Oil and is directly related to the presence of healthy antioxidants. Nevertheless it is an acquired taste and an attribute that may take some effort to love and appreciate. There are parallels in the world of specialty beers, chocolates and coffee. Rather alarmingly a 2011 study demonstrated that Northern California consumers dislike bitter and pungent olive oils and many actually prefer olive oil that displays defective attributes such as rancidity.
With a bit of luck things have changed in the last decade. Taste preferences are formed by habit and habits condition our expectations. There is no reason to have anything less than great EVOO. The systems in place are to make sure that the consumer can navigate the complicated landscape of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and with our help, you will always have high quality, health-giving olive oil on your table.
Look out for our upcoming post with some useful tips when it comes to selecting the best.