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Oil and food pairing

How to Pair Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Food

Have you ever paired raw fish with an aged red wine? I bet not! Have you thought about what type of extra virgin olive oil to pair with your dishes? Olive oil also has its rules, and a well-considered pairing can maximize the flavors and aromas of a dish or, on the contrary, diminish them.

Before discussing the general rules for oil-food pairing, it’s essential to understand the organoleptic characteristics of extra virgin olive oil: the Fruitiness – the intensity of the bouquet of aromas that the oil emits both to the nose and through retro-nasal perception during tasting. The fruitiness is categorized as light, medium, or intense. A light fruity oil will have more delicate and sweet notes, while an intense one will strike the nose with pronounced and assertive notes;

    • bitter – this component is perceived only during tasting; a more bitter oil is chemically superior because it is rich in polyphenols with antioxidant properties (vitamin E);
    • peppery – this component can also only be perceived during tasting; like bitterness, this indicates the richness of polyphenols in oil; generally, a bitter oil is also quite peppery.

In tasting good oil, one should clearly perceive these positive components and assess the overall pleasantness of the tasting in relation to the food being paired. The organoleptic profile of extra virgin olive oil is mainly linked to:

    • the inherent characteristics of the cultivar or cultivars that compose it (multivarietal);
    • the harvest year and its microclimate;
    • the cultivation methods of the olives and the harvest time;
    • the production type (continuous cycle, traditional cycle).

The Rules for Pairing Oil and Food

Extra virgin olive oil is paired by similarity of flavors. This means that:

    • delicate foods are best matched with light fruity oils, while flavorful foods complement medium or intense fruity oils that can enhance the dish’s flavor;
    • oils with a distinct bitter component pair well with foods that have the same aromatic tendency, such as pasta dishes with radicchio, ragù, borragine, chicory, and even grilled red meats;
    • very peppery oils are perfect for enlivening hearty dishes with full flavors. For example, they pair well with legume soups, grilled steaks, and rustic bread crostini, as well as tomato-based sauces;
    • oils with sweet notes (typically from almond, white-fleshed fruit) go well with delicate foods like white meats, boiled crustaceans, salmon, and grilled swordfish;
    • oils with vegetal notes (tomato, artichoke, grass) refresh the flavors but also slightly mask them. They pair well with all types of bruschetta, tomato salad, grain soups, caprese salad, and roasted fish;
    • when in doubt, let the region guide you. Sicilian oils, intense and vegetable-forward, are perfect for the island’s cuisine; Northern Italian oils work wonderfully to enhance the flavor of risotto; Umbrian oils, peppery and full-bodied, are perfect for game, legumes, and red meats.

Extra virgin olive oil shines best when used raw, but it’s crucial to choose the right oil for cooking as well. For example, I recommend using a Puglia extra virgin olive oil for sautéing to avoid overly overwhelming the sauce’s aroma or even an olive oil that has a very delicate profile.

At this point, all that’s left is to try! You’ll find it’s even easier to cook well with a thoughtful oil pairing.

Here are some tips on why to consume extra virgin olive oil and why to buy your oil directly from the mill!

Why you should buy the olive oil from an oil mill?

Discover our tips on why you should use only extra virgin olive oil and buy the oil directly from the mill!

BASIC OIL TASTING KIT

FREE ORDER

The KIT is a sample pack of 2 bottles of extra virgin olive oil: Fruity and Balanced. You only pay €16.50 for shipping from Italy
Tasting kit of Puglian extra virgin olive oil from Salento, free of charge, complimentary
Tasting kit of Puglian extra virgin olive oil from Salento, free of charge, complimentary
BASIC OIL TASTING KIT

FREE ORDER

The KIT is a sample pack of 2 bottles of extra virgin olive oil: Fruity and Balanced. You only pay €16.50 for shipping from Italy