Choosing and Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Tasting

Like any good wine or cheese, a well-made extra virgin olive oil has its own distinct terroir, taste and aroma. Our oils are made from olives that are harvested relatively early so there’s usually a fresh “green” flavour where, depending on the oil, notes like green tomatoes, almond, artichoke, and even wood can be detected. This is then followed by fruitier notes like banana, quince, apple and fig. Finally, as with all well-made early harvest oils, there's a clean often slight spicy or astringent finish. Obviously, each oil has its own distinct flavour profile so check out the tasting notes on each oil to learn more.

How to use Extra Virgin Olive Oil

You can cook of course cook with our range of premium early harvest EVOOs but the real flavour is revealed when you enjoy them raw - drizzled on bread or toast, in salads or as finishing oils for dips, vegetables, grilled (or barbecued) meats and fish. 

Several are great for desserts - try any Picual drizzled over chocolate ice-cream. Sounds strange….until you try it!

Should I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil for cooking? 

Yes! The polyphenols found in EVOO are not only good for you, they are good for the oil and protect it during the cooking process. However you do not need to buy the fanciest oils for cooking. Instead choose a good quality one from our everyday range. These are oils made with olives collected slightly later in the harvest. These olives yield more oil so the price goes down. Have a look here to see what I mean. 

Which is the Extra Virgin Olive Oil for me?

The answer to this one is really a question of your own personal taste. I keep a selection of oils in my kitchen that I use for different dishes and over time you’ll find you probably want to do the same. If you're new to authentic Extra Virgin Olive Oils (aka EVOO) Nobleza del Sur's Eco Day is a great place to start. This one’s a beauty - creamy, complex, balanced with a clean finish that everyone loves. It works well with just about everything and is exceptional on tomatoes. Its slightly fruitier delicate sister Eco Night is made mainly with the Arbequina varietal and is brilliant on both sweet and savoury salads. 

Browse all the options here. 

Looking after your Extra Virgin Olive Oils

To keep your oils at their best avoid light, air and heat - all oils degrade when exposed to these three things. Keep them in a dark bottle or tin or, in a cupboard.

For a more complete guide to choosing and using Extra Virgin Olive Oil read my Definitive Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oil