How to do Olive Oil Tastings + An Easy Appetizer!

This post brought to you by Carapelli. All opinions are 100% mine.

Olive oil is one of those products that we all use, right? It’s the oil I always start my dinners off with, make salad dressings with and dip bread into. I never put much thought into what kind I was buying, just as long as it fit into the grocery budget. Well, recently I did some olive oil tastings and figured out that there’s a lot more to olive oil than just price. Similar to wine, coffee or bourbon tastings, there are a few quick and easy steps to having a great olive oil tasting experience:

Pour about a tablespoons of oil into your glass and gently warm it up by covering the top with your hand and holding the bowl of the glass with the other. Next you’re going to want to do the four S’s:

Swirl- by swirling the olive oil, you release the oils esters which are the molecules that contain the aroma.

Sniff- inhale deeply. The aroma is the key to the fruitiness of the oil. Is it intense or more subtle?

Slurp- Sip the oil in with some air. This action emulsifies the oil and spreads it through your mouth. Does the oil taste smooth, peppery or fruity?

Swallow- swallow the oil down taking note of any sensations in your throat. It should leave no aftertaste. 

That’s it! Pretty simple, right? Well, Carapelli Olive Oils wants you to try their imported Italian Extra Virgin Olive oils, so they are giving away some $1.00 OFF coupon at www.CarapelliUSA.com. Be sure to get yours! 

And, to highlight the delicate flavors found in olive oil, I made a Roasted Garlic and White Bean Hummus. An easy to whip up, healthy, and delicious!

<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/laurenslatest/6427464035/” title=”Hummus final by laurenslatest, on Flickr”><img src=”http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6427464035_da230204ef_o.jpg” width=”550″ height=”366″ alt=”Hummus final”></a>

Roasted Garlic and White Bean Hummus

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic

1-15 oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 small lemon, juiced

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt & pepper, to taste

extra virgin olive oil, such as Carapellis

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice head of garlic in half crosswise to expose the cloves. Drizzle with a little olive oil and wrap in foil. Bake 30-40 minutes or until fragrant and cloves are golden in color. Cool.

In food processor, pour in beans, lemon juice, cumin, salt and pepper. Squeeze one half of the roasted garlic head over the food processor. The roasted cloves should pop right out. Turn machine on and drizzle olive oil in until desired consistency has been reached. Turn machine off and spoon onto serving platter. Top with another drizzle of olive oil, pine nuts and parsley, if desired. Serve with pita, vegetables or crackers. Also delicious on a sandwich or wrap.