1. POUR

Pour a tablespoon of oil into a small glass, preferably one with a rounded bottom. The pros use round blue glasses that hide the colour of the oil for judging purposes.

2. WARM AND SWIRL

Cup the glass in the palm of your hand to warm the oil and release the aromas, covering the opening of the glass with your other hand to trap them, and swirl gently.

3. SMELL

Uncover the glass and take a deep whiff. Can you identify the characteristics. Is it fruity or grassy? Do you notice any nuances of banana, artichoke or green tomato?

4. SIP

Take a long, slurpy sip, taking some air into your mouth to aerate the oil. Coat the entire tongue to identify as many aspects of the flavour as possible. Note the bitterness which is a good thing and sign of a quality extra virgin olive oil.

5. SWALLOW

Finally swallow the oil and take note of the sensations, like pepperiness in the back of your throat, or lack thereof. You may even have a small cough indicating the pungency.

Once you have the hang of it you will know not to settle for mediocre olive oil. Always look out for the South African Olive CTC seal on a bottle of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). This is a seal of confidence and the guarantee that the producer is “committed to compliance” in quality olive oil production. It confirms the EVOO is 100% locally produced and is authentic.

For more information and a list of farms that offer EVOO experiences visit evoosa.co.za and saolive.co.za