Flavouring Olive Oil for a Better Taste

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the flavoring of olive oil to enhance its taste, exploring various methods and combinations of ingredients. Participants share personal experiences, suggestions for flavor pairings, and culinary uses of olive oil, including its application in cooking and as a dressing.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest warming olive oil with herbs and spices, with mint being highlighted as a particularly favorable flavoring.
  • Others propose using olive oil as a dip for bread rather than consuming it directly.
  • There are discussions about the benefits of consuming olive oil in small quantities, particularly for those who do not use it often in cooking.
  • Some participants mention combining olive oil with other ingredients like honey or coffee to enhance flavor.
  • Concerns are raised regarding the quality of olive oil, with some participants emphasizing the importance of using high-quality, cold-pressed varieties for better taste and health benefits.
  • There are differing opinions on the taste of olives versus olive oil, with some expressing dislike for olives while still enjoying olive oil.
  • One participant humorously references the potential confusion between edible and non-edible oils, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between them.
  • Several participants share personal anecdotes about their culinary practices involving olive oil, including its use in pasta dishes and as part of a breakfast drink.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of opinions on the flavoring of olive oil and its culinary uses, with no clear consensus on the best methods or combinations. Disagreement exists regarding the taste of olives and the quality of different olive oils.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the variability in olive oil quality and flavor, suggesting that personal preferences may depend on the specific type of olive oil used. There are also references to the health benefits of olive oil, but the exact quantities needed for these benefits remain unclear.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to culinary enthusiasts, individuals looking to enhance their cooking with olive oil, and those curious about the health benefits associated with olive oil consumption.

wolram
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Olive oil is supposed to be good for you but, it doe's not taste very nice, so i tried warming some up with flavourings (herbs and spices) so far the best tasting one is mint, let it cool first, what do you think?
 
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wolram said:
Olive oil is supposed to be good for you but, it doe's not taste very nice, so i tried warming some up with flavourings (herbs and spices) so far the best tasting one is mint, let it cool first, what do you think?
To drink?
 
Try dipping some bread in the oil instead of taking a shot of it lol
 
Yes to drink, in small quantity, so people that do not use olive much can get the benifit of it's goodness.
 
Try Greg's suggestion, much better than drinking it. You can also add a bit of olive oil to just about any savory dish you make.

Olive oil and mint?
 
I have tried Gregs idea, it is okay with a bit of crusty bread not really enjoyable to eat,
i thought the minty oil tastes nice ish but there could be some better concoction.
 
We use olive oil in most of our cooking, except high-temperature searing (peanut oil for that). Olive oil, cider vinegar and some herbs and spices make a quick and easy dressing that you can use on salads or drizzle over steamed vegetables. You can substitute lemon juice for the vinegar - lemon goes well with lots of vegetables.
 
http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=893322
 
I just don't think I could take all that oil in my mouth in one shot. I use it almost daily in cooking and salads. And yes I've used mint in it, it tastes very good. Try also adding just a bit of honey.
 
  • #10
Or, one could simply add olive oil to something they are eating...
 
  • #11
binzing said:
Or, one could simply add olive oil to something they are eating...
Deep fried Mars bar drizzled with extra virgin olive oil?

Ellen MacArthur. the round the world yachtswomen was complaining about this. To eat enough calories during a race when you can't cook the solution was to drink a ridiculous amount of olive oil every day! She said she was quite glad when some bearing failed and she had to use the olive oil supply to lubricate it.
 
  • #12
I just tried coffee and honey olive oil drank warm, tasty.:smile:
 
  • #13
I love honey, I love coffee, I love mint. I would never add any of these things to olives. My cold pressed olive oil tastes like olives. Perhaps you are using a less fragrant olive oil?
 
  • #14
Evo said:
My cold pressed olive oil tastes like olives. Perhaps you are using a less fragrant olive oil?
That could be a big part of it. There is a lot of junk masquerading as cold pressed/first pressed olive oil. If it's cheap, it's not real - that's the too-good-to-be-true rule in effect.
 
  • #15
I hate olives they are worse than fish eggs (caviar) or Indian pickles.
 
  • #16
You probably are comparing to the brined, preserved stuff, that tastes nothing like fresh olives. Try a small bottle of cold-pressed/first-pressed oil to see.

Even low-grade heat extracted olive oil can be $5-6/liter bottle, so expect the good stuff to be pricey.
 
  • #17
You hit the nail on the head Turbo, good olive oil (tasty) is expensive, but i suppose there is the same goodness in the cheap stuff, so flavouring it is worth while?
 
  • #18
wolram said:
I hate olives they are worse than fish eggs (caviar) or Indian pickles.
English!

I guess appreciation of olives is an acquired taste, much like one needs to acquire a taste for asparagus, broccoli or Brussels sprouts. It also helps to prepare those foods properly.

I would have thought that Greg's suggestion would work. I've had bread at restaurants with olive oil, although the oil was seasoned with herbs (fennel and others, IIRC) and in some cases, with garlic.

I like sauteed garlic and herbs, and perhaps one could sautee garlic in olive oil (and I believe it's supposed to be extra-virgin oil) and then mash or puree the garlic, herbs and oil into a paste or spread. Then put that on toast or fresh bread.
 
  • #19
Do you not make much pasta? I always use fresh garlic and olive oil to get the pan primed for any italian pasta sauce I use. Then drizzle a bit of olive oil over the pasta itself. This seems to 'seal up' the noodles so they don't absorb as much moisture from the sauce and maintain their consistency. It also keeps left overs from drying up as much.
 
  • #20
When I first read the thread title, I was certain that Wolram had ingested motor oil by mistake.
 
  • #21
TheStatutoryApe said:
Do you not make much pasta? I always use fresh garlic and olive oil to get the pan primed for any italian pasta sauce I use. Then drizzle a bit of olive oil over the pasta itself. This seems to 'seal up' the noodles so they don't absorb as much moisture from the sauce and maintain their consistency. It also keeps left overs from drying up as much.


Pasta is squidgy horrible stuff, the nearest to that i will eat is Chineese noodles, pasta all ways reminds me of under cooked pastry.
 
  • #22
Evo said:
When I first read the thread title, I was certain that Wolram had ingested motor oil by mistake.


Castrol R, :!)
 
  • #23
How much olive oil do you need to ingest to reap the benefits of it?
 
  • #24
wolram said:
You hit the nail on the head Turbo, good olive oil (tasty) is expensive, but i suppose there is the same goodness in the cheap stuff, so flavouring it is worth while?
I don't know how much "good stuff" is left by the time the processor gets around to resorting to heat extraction. Such oil can be called "Pure", but it is certainly not comparable in flavor to Virgin or Extra-Vrigin, so I suspect some of the nutrients and other good stuff that were extracted with the cold-pressed oil is present in smaller quantities in the heat-extracted oils.
 
  • #25
Evo said:
When I first read the thread title, I was certain that Wolram had ingested motor oil by mistake.
For a moment, I wondered the same thing, or that it might be about benefits of drinking motor oil.

Disclaimer: Do not drink motor oil or any other petroleum product, just in case someone is contemplating doing so.


I think wolram is suffering from overexposure to tribdog. :biggrin:
 
  • #26
Astronuc said:
For a moment, I wondered the same thing, or that it might be about benefits of drinking motor oil.

Disclaimer: Do not drink motor oil or any other petroleum product, just in case someone is contemplating doing so.


I think wolram is suffering from overexposure to tribdog. :biggrin:

Here i am trying to expand gourmet knowledge and you have to trivialise it :-p
 
  • #27
wolram said:
Here i am trying to expand gourmet knowledge and you have to trivialise it :-p
Please refer to my previous post in which I recommend ways to enjoy olive oil.

My last post before this one is simply a precaution for those who may not distinguish between edible oils and non-edible oils.


When I worked in a refinery, we received tank cars with special designations which distinguished 'edible' from 'non-edible' products, e.g. 'EDIBLE TALLOW' as opposed to 'NON-EDIBLE TALLOW'.
 
  • #28
A nice dollop of extra virgin olive oil is an essential ingredient of my patent-pending super-power breakfast drink--which I have just about every work day. Yum!
 
  • #29
wolram said:
I hate olives they are worse than fish eggs (caviar) or Indian pickles.

:bugeye:
You hate olive, yet you want to drink live oil? Well I think olives are way tastier than olive oil!
 
  • #30
Doc Al said:
A nice dollop of extra virgin olive oil is an essential ingredient of my patent-pending super-power breakfast drink--which I have just about every work day. Yum!
What about all the other days?
 

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