Judicious use of olive oil can transform a simple dish. Hugo Arnold samples some of Spain's best oils
There is trouble afoot in Spain. I am standing in an olive grove near Lleida, two hours west of Barcelona and all around me the olive trees are looking decidedly unhappy. It may be raining in Ireland, but one of the driest periods in Spain's recent history means even if it rains tomorrow, the crop is likely to be 40 per cent down on last year. If you thought most olive oil comes from Italy, think again. Italy may have the upper hand on fancy bottles and labels, but Spain tops the league in production, export and diversity of markets.
Here in Lleida they grow the Arbequiña olive, noted for its sweet flavour and fresh, green apple and grass aromas. It has a bit of a peppery hit, but nothing too overpowering. We are tasting it from a blue glass to hide the colour, which has no influence on the flavour despite perceptions that grassy green means good. We take a sniff, and, sure enough, green apples come pouring forth. There is a subtle, peppery aftertaste. The next oil we taste, Cornicabra, is typical of La Mancha. It has less forward aromas and is not nearly so fruity - more like hay than green grass. There are rather dull middle notes, possibly a sign of it being nearly a year old, and a strong peppery aftertaste. Finally, we are given a faulty oil, one that has oxidised. It smells pretty dull, almost off, beside the other two, and we decline a tasting. Oxidised olive oil is more common than you might think.
Back in the vineyard, the olive trees are showing signs of stress. Olives appear on only one side of the tree, and many of the leaves are drooping. There have been numerous promises of water being channelled to this region from the Pyrenees, but nothing has been done about it, yet. Meanwhile demand for olive oil continues to rise as take-up of the Mediterranean diet increases.
While it is a fat, olive oil has a high oleic acid content (the good kind) and we should be using a lot more of it, certainly in preference to butter. Olive oil contributes flavour to what you are cooking.
Lunch in the olive grove is informal. We all stand about sipping tumblers of wine and water, picking at Jamon Iberico; an omelette made with first-rate potatoes and full-flavoured eggs; a salad of raw bacalao, sweet onions and green peppers; and a plate of grilled red peppers and strips of grilled, smoky aubergine, all laced with delicate, delicious olive oil.
As we eat, the theme of first-rate ingredients simply treated is repeated. We go on to a salad of top-quality tinned tuna, and then hake roasted on a bed of potatoes. There is nothing fancy about our meal. The simplest ingredients - including those out of jars and tins - are treated with the minimum of fuss.
KNOW WHAT YOU'RE BUYING
VIRGIN means the oil was produced without the use of chemical treatments.
REFINED means that the oil has been chemically treated to get rid of strong tastes (characterised as defects) and neutralise the acid content (free fatty acids). Refined oil is commonly regarded as lower quality than virgin oil. The retail labels extra-virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil cannot contain any refined oil.
Extra-virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives and contains no more than 0.8 per cent acidity. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil.
Virgin olive oil has an acidity level less than two per cent and must contain no refined oil.
Olive oil is a blend of virgin oil and refined virgin oil. it does not have a strong flavour, and can be heated to high temperatures.
See: www.internationaloliveoil.org
SOME SPANISH OILS TO TRY
Marques de Valduerza, €19.50. Well-rounded and smooth, a result of using three varieties of olives: Hojiblanca, Arbequiña and Picual. (Terroirs, Donnybrook, Dublin (01-6671311). L'Estornell, €12.50. Elegant, fresh and full of fruit. An organic oil which is made with the Arbequiña olive. (Terroirs, Donnybrook). La Mañzarena D.O., €9.95. A very fruity unfiltered oil from Extremadura in western Spain. Made from Manzanilla and Cacerena olives. Bags of fruit and a spicy well-rounded finish. (Sheridans in Dublin, 01-6793143, and Galway, 091-564829). Don Carlos, €7.78. A good all-rounder with smooth, fruity notes. Widely available. Luccese, €2.99. Ideal for anyone looking for an inexpensive olive oil. (Lidl nationwide). Tesco Finest Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil, €7.60. A well rounded and fruity oil with gentle peppery afternotes. From Tesco stores nationwide.