Picking the Right Varietal EVOO

We all know that fresh is best, especially when it comes to extra virgin olive oil. At Evoolution, we have a Two Hemisphere Solution to our EVOO supply that ensures we get a fresh batch of oils every six months. Half the year we receive the freshest EVOOs from the northern hemisphere - typically from Mediterranean countries, but also from Tunisia and the USA - and the other 6 months of the year we are supplied with freshly-pressed EVOOs from the southern hemisphere, predominantly Australia, Chile, and Peru. This system means you are always able to have fresh extra virgin olive oil at your fingertips with a range of intensities and flavour profiles. This range in intensity is the key to accentuating a variety of dishes and incorporating our EVOOs into different culinary applications.

When we talk about an EVOO being more intense or robust in its taste, we are referring to certain qualities such as bitterness and pungency that come through in each olive oil. Varying amounts of biophenols and antioxidants present in EVOO are largely what contribute these differences in intensity. Different varietals (types of single-cultivar olive oils) have different biophenol numbers due to genetics, growing factors, and harvest time, among other factors. We categorize our EVOOs as mild, medium, or robust to easily illustrate these differences and help you choose an oil for a specific application. 

Mild

For baking with EVOO, leafy green salad dressings, or a lighter-tasting oil for frying, mild varietals are usually the way to go. These EVOOs are not very bitter or pungent and don't often have much of the pepperiness that is associated with stronger varietals. They won't overwhelm a delicate olive oil cake, for example, or take away from the other ingredients in a green salad. You will still get a good dose of heart-healthy fats from these oils, just not as many of the biophenols.

Mild extra virgin olive oils you can often find at Evoolution include Chiquitita, Arbequina, and Hojiblanca. Always be sure to check the intensity or try a sample of these oils before making your selection, as we sometimes carry robust Arbequinas and Hojiblancas as well!

Medium

Neither overly intense or too mild, Evoolution's medium-intensity EVOOs can be a great go-to for a range of dishes. We love medium varietals in Greek or Italian salads, bruschetta, marinades, and as finishing oils. These stronger oils have more green notes or grassiness and tend to have more pungent or peppery aftertastes. These notes complement stronger flavours as neither will overwhelm the other, rather work together to become more than the sum of their parts. This is the same principle behind a finishing oil; using a small drizzle of a flavourful EVOO to draw out complementary flavours and complete a dish. Try some on a bowl of ice cream and prepare to be amazed!

We love a good Picual at Evoolution, so you will often find this varietal in stock from either the northern or southern hemisphere in our medium section. Other medium varietals we typically see include Arbosana, Galega, Cobrançosa, and Correggiola, among others. 

Robust

On the far end of the scale we have the most intense oils, or the robust EVOOs. These are the green-tasting, more pungent, peppery and bitter oils that are often from early-harvest crushes. Remember that those tasting notes are good, desirable attributes, and, depending on the application, are highly-sought after! For use in cooking, you want ingredients that have a lot of inherent flavour that will stand up to a robust oil. You wouldn't want delicate ingredients whose flavour gets lost when you add an intense oil, right? We usually recommend robust EVOOs for strong pasta sauces, marinades, and meats where you have a lot of hearty and intense flavours to couple with the olive oil. Many people also stick to robust varietals for supplementing their diet if they are seeking those healthy biophenols. You can simply down a spoonful a day for the healthy fats and antioxidants or pop it into a daily smoothie!

Some of the varietals we stock at Evoolution on the more robust end are Kalamata, Koroneiki, and Coratina. When we occasionally get really robust oils - essentially ultra robust - we do recommend sampling them in store before you purchase, as the peppery intense of these oils can really knock the socks off of someone who is unprepared!

Try Them All!

If you are still unsure as to what varietal would work for a particular recipe you have in mind, don't hesitate to ask our helpful staff in store. They will help you sample some options to see what suits your tastebuds best.