A quality olive oil stands out from the crowd

Olive oil is a pushy customer. Have you noticed the extent to which our supermarket and delicatessen shelves are bulging under the weight of imported and local varieties? What used to be a simple enough decision is now surrounded by complexity and seriousness. The introduction of boutique varietals coincide with the possibility of new and rewarding taste experiences. The industry is also starting to attract the services of experts.

Last year, I attended a conference for manufacturers and purveyors of these oils. The opening speaker offered suggestions for matching her Frantoio pressings with “sophisticated accompaniments” An international chef berated the audience for their lack of knowledge and there were heated arguments between rival producers and distributors. Thankfully, this was balanced by an elderly man sporting a felt hat. In broken English, he asked everyone to relax and take some breathing. The astonished audience then listened to his descriptions of the Sicilian village where his family raised olives, grapes, and citrus fruits over many generations.

So what makes an olive oil special enough to be remembered? I believe the answer can be summed up in a single word. Personality. Our elderly Sicilian understood the importance of personality. He commented along the lines that a good olive oil carries its own flavour while sufficiently robust in personality to enhance the unique flavours of other accompaniments. Perhaps that’s something akin to having a strongly held opinion yet being generous enough to accommodate alternative positions.

I talked with numerous experts during the conference and learned a considerable amount concerning the recent history and traditions of olive production in California, Australia, Israel, Spain, and South Africa. The organic sector was well represented and there were opportunities to compare many of these products (blended and single varietal) with their conventional equivalents. There were several standouts in each category and I am particularly pleased to report that one of the finest organic oils was produced in Australia.

Based in Western Australia, Kailis Organic is one of the world’s largest producers of organic olive oil. Their extra virgin blend contains selected pressings of Frantoio, Leccino, Coratina, and Corregiola olives. In my opinion it’s an extremely well balanced product with a large dose of the aforementioned personality. We thoroughly enjoyed its peppery fruit flavours which carried forward in a range of antipasto, warm salads, and various combinations of pasta, meat, cheese, herbs, and vegetables. Unlike some other blended oils, the Kailis is neither heavy nor bland. The inferior ones tend to coat the palate and result in a distracting muddle of flavours rather than crispness.

The old Sicilian also complimented the Kailis but was convinced that the Australian growers would benefit from tasting his fathers Manzanillo pressing of 1954. That’s a long time ago, I commented. Yes, he agreed, hesitating momentarily. It’s a long time but we always recollect the special ones. These ones are like the angels standing away from a crowd. He smiled briefly before gesturing somewhere in the distance. He shuffled aside then I watched him depart with no hint of a swagger.