Gourmet olive oil: how it differs from other oils
14-09-2021. Fuenquesada Olive Oil.
We have often heard the term gourmet olive oil, but what does it really mean? The word gourmet may make us think of an elitist product, perhaps an expensive one, only available to the lucky few or the most refined. But this is not the case at all.
According to the Royal Spanish Academy "gourmet" means "a person of exquisite tastes as far as food and drink are concerned". Furthermore, this word of French origin is used in gastronomy as an adjective to refer to those foods which have been produced with very great care.
The secrets of 100 % gourmet olive oil
Both the quality of the raw material and how the product is made are determinant if we are to establish whether we are concerned with gourmet olive oil. The keys to finding an extra virgin olive oil suitable for the most demanding palates are as follows:
- The olive and the olive grove. Not all olives are suitable for the production of gourmet oil, even in the same olive grove. On the Las Fuentezuelas estate we have been growing exclusively picual olives exclusively for years and we combine tradition with innovation. This is so to such an extent that in our olive grove we now use modern techniques of irrigation and fertigation. Together with the most traditional processes they make our olive grove an optimum environment for obtaining good gourmet olive oil.
- Harvesting the olives. We need to know exactly when is the best moment for harvesting them so as to achieve an olive oil with an exquisite taste. The picual oil of Fuenquesada ripens early and we collect at night those olives which are still on the crowns of the olive trees. Gathering them at night allows us to avoid high temperatures; this influences the quality of the fruit.
- Grinding and filtering. After the harvesting we carry out this process in less than four hours on a daily basis. In this way we preserve all the taste and the nuances of picual oil.
If you love gourmet products, having a bottle of Fuenquesada EVOO in your kitchen is a must. It is not only the perfect condiment for your dishes but also the best olive oil for cooking. You can buy gourmet olive oil at our online store or at physical points of sale of Fuenquesada olive oil.
