The Oil
OLIVE OIL
EXTRA VIRGIN
THE OLIVE OIL EXTRA VIRGIN ORGANIC
It can be consumed as it is, unlike other existing oils.
There are more than 50 varieties of olives, and each of them has its own characteristic. Some are perfect for oil production and others are perfect for the table. Some are spicy and others are soft to the palate.
El Poblet olive oil is an Extra Virgin oil, first cold extraction, by exclusively mechanical procedures in continuous organic. Our oil is certified organic (number CV 1464) and our olives have never been in contact with pesticides, herbicides or other unnatural products.
After the harvest when winter is about to arrive, and a rigorous control has been carried out, the olives are classified, washed and pressed on the same day of the harvest. The entire procedure never exceeds 26 degrees during the entire process.
Spain is the world’s leading producer of virgin olive oil with more than 1,400,000 tons. France produces around 5,200 tons and imports 95% of its consumption.
The Poblet olive grove is
consisting of 2 varieties
“The Arberquina”`
It owes its name to the castle-palace of the Duke of Medinaceli, a place of residence that bears the name of Arberca.
It is a very fine and small olive (between 1 and 2 grams) that gives a light oil, of great quality.
It is perfectly suited to salads, which it enhances with its mildly fruity taste.
A thread of arberquina on a roasted fish will be just right!
“La Picual”
The Picual is a major Spanish variety that is present on approximately one million hectares. It owes its name to the small peak located at its end. It is a fairly large olive, with an average weight of 3.5 grams. It also gives great productivity in the order of 25 to 30% of its weight.
It has an intense fruity flavour and is suitable for any preparation. On a roast it will enhance the flavour in a spectacular way.
It retains all its qualities after cooking, and can be used for frying several times in a row. What cannot be said about the other cooking oils.
These two varieties can be mixed (“coupages”), for example 60% picual and 40% arberquina, it is a question of taste and each one can act at his own discretion… on condition that he has both at hand.
“APPRECIATE THE OLIVE OIL OF THE ” POBLET ” …. AND THE OTHERS!”
There are as many different flavors among olive oils as there are among vines.
The color has no meaning.
Some “green” oils indeed have a “green” taste while others, so green as well, do not. Some others, very yellow can be soft and light, while others, equally yellow, are not at all.
In summary, the great qualities of olive oil are characterized by the following flavors:
- Fruity
- Spicy
- Bitter
All these qualities are evaluated in a way
different for each person!
Sometimes a (very) light deposit can appear on the bottle. This is not a defect either, but a consequence of a natural product.
The only valid evaluation criterion is therefore the taste, apart, of course, from the classification of extra or other.
During cooking, with hot dishes, oils with a pronounced taste will give a well accepted vigour to certain dishes, while a light oil will go unnoticed – the whole art of the cook will lie in his choice! Virgin olive oil has exceptional thermal stability.
It withstands temperatures of 180/200 degrees, much higher than other oils. During cooking, cooked food is lighter and more digestible without loss of nutritional value, since it forms a kind of crust that prevents excessive absorption of the oil by the food.
It can be used up to 7 times in a row, until it changes colour or becomes more dense.
The oil is often bottled in dark, even opaque, glass bottles. This is to protect it from the sun’s rays. But oil locked up in a cabinet or its original box will keep for a long time. The shelf life varies according to the varieties.
The oil that is “spent” will lose its colour (bleached), its taste (become rancid) and its smell little by little.
The label affixed by the owner/manufacturer must indicate the best before date.
Olive oil therefore ages in the opposite way to wine: the older it is, the better the wine! One to two years is the criterion of aging to be respected.
This is also where the difference with “normal” oils appears: “chemical” oils will age unpredictably, and will quickly become unsuitable for consumption.
In order to taste olive oil like true professionals in tasting, it must be tasted twice: first in an olfactory way and then in a gustatory way. It must be poured into a thin, light glass, slightly preheated in the palm of the hand or on a hot plate. Then cover the glass for a moment with a saucer, for example. By uncovering the glass and smoking its contents, all the characteristic smell of the oil variety will be revealed, then the glass must be brought to the mouth and… the rest is subjective!
A little tip: biting into a quarter of an apple before tasting will put the palate in an ideal position to appreciate the taste of the olive oil.
