The Taste of Olive Oil

The Character of an olive oil varies, reflecting the territory where the olives were produced. If you like somewhat bitter oil that prickles, scratches, that seems to explode at the back of your mouth as you swallow, you will enjoy some of the Tuscan oils, particularly when they have just been bottled. If you prefer a warm, creamy, intensely fruity sensation, your choice might be directed toward an Umbrian oil. If you respond to a sweet and delicate touch on the palate, you should reach for an oil made from taggiasche olives in Liguria, the Italian Riviera. If it is a graceful combination of fruit and elegant texture that satisfies you, you will find it in the rarer, but possibly most harmonious of all oils, the one from the shores of Lake Garda.