How to taste extra virgin olive oil

Pour enough to coat your mouth. A small opaque cup is useful because colour is not a reliable guide to quality.

Warm the cup gently in your palm and cover the top briefly. Swirl, uncover and smell. Look for fresh impressions that may suggest grass, herbs, tomato leaf, artichoke or ripe fruit.

Take a small sip and draw in a little air. Notice bitterness on the tongue and any clean peppery or prickling sensation in the mouth or throat as you swallow.

Also learn the contrast. Stale or defective oil may seem flat, waxy, musty, fermented or reminiscent of old nuts or crayons. You do not need professional vocabulary to notice that an oil lacks freshness.

Taste the oil alone first. Bread is excellent afterwards, when the question changes from formal tasting to simple pleasure.