Olive oil

Right now, supermarkets are charging somewhere in the neighborhood of €3.50 for a litre of virgin olive oil. This price will vary a bit depending on acidity, brand, etc. I usually pick up the Carbonell brand, but there are a number of good 'names' available. If you are looking for 'serious' oil, you might want to make a day trip out to a smaller town (La Puebla de Cazalla, 60km from Seville comes to mind) and buy a 5 litre "garrafa" directly from one of the oil co-ops. This liquid gold will come without a label, and is far superior to the watered down commercial stuff. Price will depend on how much wine you buy the old guy before starting your purchase. The best oil I've ever tasted was in an unmarked bottle, purchased at a gas station somewhere between Cordoba and Jaen on the way to Madrid. Just wish I could remember which one...

hey! i´m in madrid now (but may be leaving for bilbao tonight...) did you ever find a place to get the good stuff while you were here? i´m on a tight budget but would love to bring home some for my cousin who is a food freak.

thanks!

FYI color means little as to quality and much (most) oil comes from Turkey and is blended in so pay a lot for a green oil from some little city but now you know the secret . This is similar to the Kona coffee con in Hawaii with only a handful of Kona beans in many (most) blends. Sorry but this the facts.

John, please document your statements on olive oil, otherwise why should we believe you?

First, I didn't think John's post made much sense. In the US, most of the imported olive oil is of marginal quality. Some believe it is intentionally blended to be bland for American tastes. It is true that most olives for imported Italian olive oil from from many places in the Med. It is processed in Italy and imported as a product of Italy.

Quality, like fine wines, can only be judged by taste. Color means nothing. Olive oil with a green tint only means an early harvest and a more peppery taste. Later harvest will be golden and mild.

American Test Kitchen gave a very high rating to a Spanish olive oil, Columeia. About $45 (US) per liter. Google Am Test Kitchen for the complete report.

I would ask the locals and see what they recommend but remember that they may have a very different opinion about how olive oil should taste.

We are headed into that area in Dec/Jan, maybe I can check it out for you.