The characteristic taste of oil obtained from green olives or olives turning colour (when they start to change from green to purplish red and black), perceived by the circumvallate papillae that form the lingual V, or terminal sulcus, of the tongue. Bitterness and pungency are both highly valued positive attributes, linked to the presence of polyphenols.
Cold extraction is a method of producing olive oil that puts the quality of the end product first. The process uses controlled temperatures, below 27 °C, while the olives are milled and the oil is extracted, avoiding excessive heating that could spoil the quality of the oil.
Extra virgin olive oil is superior category olive oil obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means, so without the use of chemicals or refining processes. An olive oil can be called extra virgin if, besides meeting a series of chemical parameters, it shows no defects and a perceptible fruitiness at sensory analysis (the panel test).
The set of olfactory sensations, depending on the olive variety, characteristic of oil obtained from sound, fresh fruit, either green or ripe, perceived directly and/or through the back of the nose. Depending on the intensity of the perception, it can be intense, medium or light.
In technical terms, any operation carried out with millstones (edge runner mills) and aimed at crushing a substance or preparing a fine, even paste.
An olive mill is a machine or plant used to crush olives to obtain their oil.
The word often also refers to the place where this is done.
Polyphenols are plant compounds with antioxidant activity: in extra virgin olive oil they protect the oil itself from oxidation. Some phenolic compounds also shape the sensory quality of the oil, giving it its typical bitter and pungent character. Under the health claim authorised in the European Union, olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress: the claim applies to olive oil containing at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives per 20 g of oil, and the beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 20 g of olive oil.
A biting tactile sensation typical of oils produced at the start of the harvest season, mainly from olives that are still green, which can be felt throughout the mouth, especially in the throat. Pungency and bitterness are both highly valued positive attributes, linked to the presence of polyphenols.
