Recently, "Food Guys" co-host Greg Patent attended an olive oil competition in Perugia, Italy. The Ercole Olivario is named for Hercules, several of whose mythic labors were aided by the wood of the olive tree. What are the competition's judges looking for? "A spiciness, a pungency, a grassiness - and a balance among these qualities."
To pick a good Italian extra virgin olive oil, look for 0.5% acidity (or lower). If the label shows the varietal names of the olives used, so much the better. Sometimes the family name of the olive orchard is mentioned. Make sure the harvest date is given and that it's no earlier than the previous year. "Olive oil is a fruit juice. It'll last a good year and no longer." And whatever you do, don't buy "light" olive oil. "It's been treated so much with organic solvents that it's no longer really olive oil."
Greg's got storage tips, too: "If you buy it in a clear glass bottle, wrap it in foil. Light is the enemy of olive oil; it'll cause it to denature. Taste the oil frequently to make sure it's not becoming rancid."
You won't find the olive oils of the Ercole Olivario in your local grocery store, but you might be able to get them through the Internet. Here are sites Greg Patent recommends:
Eataly: (www.eataly.com)
Gustiamo: (www.gustiamo.com)
Market Hall Foods: (www.markethallfoods.com)
Zingerman’s: (www.zingermans.com)
(Broadcast: "The Food Guys," 5/1/16 and 5/6/16. Listen weekly on the radio at 11:50 a.m. Sundays and again at 4:54 p.m. Thursdays, or via podcast.)