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THE PRICE OF LOCAL OILS VS IMPORTED OILS - the facts

Nico from Lonehill wrote:

“I own an Italian restaurant in Paulshof. An important thing in Italian cuisine is to use the best possible products as a start, and to try to keep it local. Please help me on this? I think SA olive oil manufacturers are trying very hard to force us to use imported oils... We use good pomace to cook, and Extra Virgin for dressing meals and salads”

Our answer to Nico:

This is a very interesting observation, and echoes what we often hear from large volume olive oil users such as restauranteurs. With regard to specifically extra virgin olive oils, South African oils have now firmly established themselves as some of the best in the world. Morgenster's EVOO won the “Best Blended Olive Oil in the World” prize at the prestigious L'extravergine - judged from 3000 entries in an open competition held in Italy recently. Kloovenburg, Willow Creek and Vesuvio have won similar international awards. Therefore, I can only presume that your comment relates to price rather than quality.

Regarding price, keep in mind that pomace cannot be really classified as olive oil. An olive residue oil, by definition, is obtained by treating the olive residue, called pomace, (which is the substance that remains after several pressings) with solvents, through a refining process similar to that used on crude oil! It is a way of extracting maximum value from the olives, but it then produces an oil which has been classified as unfit for human consumption in some countries, because of the chemical content and the very poor quality ranking. This explains two facts: why pomace oil can be called an ‘olive oil’ – that is indeed where it is derived from – and why the price is so much lower than good quality olive oil.

Regarding extra virgin, keep the following in mind:

The three basic methods through which olive oil is marketed to the consumer are bulk oils, regional oils and estate oils. Many of the name brands sold in food stores/supermarkets are a blend of bulk olive oils from one country or several countries, which allows the manufacturer to sell the product at a reasonable price. Therefore, a prospective buyer should read the labels carefully to determine the origin of the oil. “Imported from Italy” does not necessarily mean Italian olive oil.

Olive oil obtained from exclusively from olives grown in a particular region is known as regional oil. These oils usually have distinct, identifiable flavours and aromas and may be more expensive than bulk olive oils. A good example of such a region is Andalucia in Spain. Olive oil from a farming co-operative, which is a concept well known to South African wine consumers, would also fall into this category.

Estate oils refer to oils that are obtained from olives grown on an individual farm. The olives are usually harvested by hand and the oil is pressed and bottled on site. Estate oils are among the best available and the price usually reflects this. It is in this category that you will find most of the South African extra virgin olive oils.

Another factor to consider when evaluating the price of oil is agricultural subsidy. In Europe, the oil producers receive a subsidy of one Euro per liter. Olive farmers also receive a further subsidy for their land and equipment. Translated into South African Rand, our farmers have to compete with a subsidy that is equivalent to R15 000 per hectare. Making matters worse, this subsidy is currently being replaced with a subsidy per tree!

A further issue for our local farmers is the availability of bottles. In South Africa, Consol Glass has a monopoly – they are the only supplier of the type of bottle typically used for olive oil. Any other shape must be imported from countries such as France. The European farmers have a wide range of glass factories available in Italy, France, Spain and Portugal with prices lower than local bottles.

The above factors notwithstanding, a trip to your local supermarket will reveal that in contrast to the past, the prices of South African oils are now very competitive. A shortage in the previous harvest year in Europe resulted in higher imported prices and a huge increase in price for the end consumer.

And, while you’re at the supermarket comparing, note that very few of the imported oils actually display the harvest date. How do we know how fresh the oil is? In comparison, the SA Olive Seal of Commitment to Compliance will show you the harvest date on your favorite local oil. As consumer, you can base your decision on harvest date, rather that a best before date that seldom takes into account the conditions in which the oil has been stored since the bottling process and the bright lights in supermarkets that causes oxidation.

Retruning to Nico’s question: unfortunately using pomace oil will not help in your effort to use only the best ingredients in your restaurant. The only answer for that is using extra virgin olive oil, because with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Addressing the issue of price may mean negotiating bulk supply with local farmers. Whatever route you decide to take, we’d encourage you to keep using South African oils – they are of top quality, and using them will help the industry thrive.

COOKING WITH OLIVE OIL - the facts

As has often happened since the shop opened, I was recently in a heated…let’s call it a discussion with a gentleman who insisted that “olive oil, like other nut oils, changes it’s properties if the temperature is higher than 30 degrees and that is why it should be kept in the refrigerator.” Unfortunately, this just served to highlight again just how many myths and misinformation is out there when it comes to cooking with and using olive oil.

So, what is the truth?

In fact, you can use extra virgin olive oil for all your food and cooking needs, including baking and frying. If not overheated, and if used in normal cooking temperature conditions, it undergoes no substantial chemical structural change and keeps its nutritional value better than other oils. This is because of the high percentage of oleic acid it contains, which is much more resistant to oxidization than the polyunsaturated acids found in large amounts in seed oils. In addition, olive oil contains a naturally high concentration of anti-oxidizing agents such as phenols and vitamin E. Its high smoking point (210ºC) is substantially higher than the ideal temperature for frying food (180ºC). Stripping away the jargon, the point is that olive oil is more heat stable than the highly polyunsaturated seed oils and can be re-used up to 5 times for frying.

When food is fried in olive oil it has a lower fat content than food fried in other oils, because the olive oil forms a crust on the surface of the food that impedes the penetration of oil.

Store your oil in a cool dark place, but not in the fridge. This is because it is not the ambient temperature that promotes oxidation of the oil, but in fact ultraviolet light which slowly breaks it down over time. (This, incidentally, is also why a dark bottle is better for olive oil than a clear one.) Storing the oil in the fridge might cause it to solidify, at which point the formation of condensation WILL wreak havoc on the oil.

The bottom line is, cooking with olive oil is like cooking with wine. Never use a wine or olive oil to cook with that you would not use on its own. An inferior one will simply reproduce the qualities that made it inferior in the first place, in the food. But do not take my word for it – test it out for yourself. Making the same dish twice, once with olive oil and once with the oil you would normally use, even if it is something as simple as a fried egg, will convince you to use olive oil as a household cooking oil from now on. We’re sure of it!

KNOW YOUR EXTRA VIRGINS

PRICE - South African Olive oils vs. supermarket olive oils

The three basic methods with which olive oil is marketed to the consumer are bulk oils, regional oils and estate oils. Many of the name brands sold in food stores/supermarkets are a blend of bulk olive oils from one country or several countries, which allows the manufacturer to sell the product at a reasonable price. Read the labels carefully to determine the origin of the oil. Imported from Italy does not mean Italian olive oil.

Olive oil obtained from olives grown in a particular region of a country is known as regional oils. They usually have distinct, identifiable flavors and aromas and may be more expensive than bulk olive oils.

Estate oils refer to oils that are obtained from olives grown on an individual farm. The olives are usually harvested by hand and the oil is pressed and bottled on site. Estate oils are among the best available and the price usually reflects this. It is in this category that you will find most of the South African extra virgin olive oils.

TABLE OLIVES – WHAT SHOULD THEY TASTE LIKE?
Linda J Costa from OlivesInFact (PTY) LTD

The Characteristics of a Quality Table Olive
The first characteristic of a product that we notice is, of course, appearance. This is a vital attribute that will make us decide whether to try the product or not. The aim should be to produce table olives that not only taste good, but that look as good as possible, these two characteristics are not mutually exclusive.

The organoleptic characteristics of a food product, which describe the flavour thereof, encompass three sensory perceptions, that of smell (olfactory), taste (gustatory) and mouthfeel (tactile).

Smell
A well-prepared olive has a clean acceptable aroma. The aroma will give a good indication of how the processing was managed as most of the volatile components are a result of the fermentation process. In the absence of any fermentation, the aroma is usually that of the added ingredients, like garlic, herbs and various other flavourings.
An off-fermentation will be noticeable on the nose, and any off-odour is totally unacceptable in quality table olives.

Taste
The taste and flavour of a food product is generally rather subjective – it depends on what one is accustomed to. When wine is consumed, the trend is often for non-wine drinkers to start with a sweeter wine, and then to progress to the more dry products. In the table olive sphere, the consumer not accustomed to olives, usually prefers a more bland product. Once hooked on these little delicacies, the consumer then seeks out products with a lot more flavour, the natural olive flavour in particular.

A fully fermented table olive should display a balance between the natural flavour of the fruit, the natural lactic acid and the added salt and vinegar. The acid produced by the fermentation is usually perceived as fully integrated with the fruit flavours, and therefore far more appealing than acid that has been added to the final product.

Texture / Tactile
An olive should have a degree of firmness in the flesh, without being tough or woody. The skin of the fruit should not be too tough, and the flesh should detach from the pit quite readily.

The texture of an olive is determined by numerous factors, the most important of which are fruit ripeness when harvested, and cultivar. The methods of processing will then play an equally important role, which can either maintain the texture of the fruit or compromise it.

In conclusion, the most important aspect is to realise that table olives vary to a vast extent with respect to the attributes mentioned above. It is for the consumer to experience as many different styles and flavours as possible and in so doing, build up a profile of the olives of choice. Awareness of the factors that constitute a quality product can positively benefit the consumer in this choice.

HOW TO TASTE OLIVE OIL

Olive oil tasting usually involves the following four steps:

1. If available, use blue glasses that masked the colour of the olive oil. The reason is that the colour tends to influence the taster's perception of the taste to follow, but in truth the colour of an olive oil has no bearing on its quality. Warm the glass to 28°C or 30°C in cupped hands to liberate the aromas.
   
2. Smell the oil to get an immediate first impression. Now you should detect the desirable fruitiness of the oil or even defects such as rancidity.
   
3. Carefully take a small sip, roll it around the mouth cavity and suck air in through your clenched teeth - this is called 'aspiration'.
   
4. Swallow it and evaluate if you taste the positive attributes in the oil. Look for the initial fruitiness in the mouth (green fruits or grassiness), then a slight bitterness on the middle palate and lastly a biting sensation in the throat. This pungency is sometimes quite delayed. Note that the bitterness and pungency are both desirable qualities of the oil, but should be in balance with respect to the oil's fruit characteristics.
   
   See if you can identify any defective tastes or fragrances. The list below shows some of the most common negative attributes:
   
   Rancid - Caused by oxidation due to exposure to light or air
   Fusty - When olives are stored in a pile and start to ferment before the milling process, the oil becomes fusty.
   Musty - If olives are stored in humid conditions, moldiness can be tasted in the oil.
   Muddy sediment - Prolonged contact with sediment in the storage containers can create a negative taste sensation
   Winey - High acidic taste
   Metallic - when olive oil absorbs a metallic flavor from reactive metals, either during pressing or when stored.