Would you buy a used car without looking at the engine?

Would you buy a used car without looking at the engine? No, right?
Why then do we only trust taste when we buy extra virgin olive oil?

Picture this scene: you are standing in front of a used car. The salesman enthusiastically presents it to you, the body is shiny, the interior smells clean, he even offers you a test drive. The car behaves well on the road. You are not mechanics, but everything looks good. You buy.

But what if, after a few days, the engine starts making strange noises, or leaves you stranded? You bought with your eyes closed, trusting only the seller's words and appearances.

Now replace the car with a bottle of extra virgin olive oil.

Again, the producer shows you the color, invites you to taste it, tells you it is "very good," "fruity," "genuine," "made the way it used to be." You taste it: maybe you even like it. But you are not a professional taster. And, most importantly, you cannot "look under the hood."

Taste alone is not enough

In the case of an EVO oil, tasting is equivalent to taking a test run. It is useful, but not sufficient. Taste can be deceptive: there are defective oils that appeal to the palate because they resemble familiar flavors (e.g., rancid butter or bitter almond), but actually hide serious problems, such as oxidation or fermentation.

Just as we would never dream of buying a used car without a thorough technical inspection, we should not buy an EVO oil without an objective "diagnosis."

Analysis is the "trusted mechanic" of EVO oil

The good news is that for extra virgin olive oil. verification tools exist: are the chemical and organoleptic analysis.

• Le chemical analysis They measure objective parameters such as acidity, peroxides, polyphenols, UV absorbances, waxes, etc. They are used to tell whether the oil is fresh, stable, rich in antioxidants and meets the standard.
• Le organoleptic analysis, carried out by professional panel tests, verify the presence of defects and the intensity of positive notes (fruity, bitter, spicy).

An oil may look good but have hidden flaws. Only these tests can reveal the truth beneath the surface.
And you don't have to think you have to be a professional or study for years to be able to interpret the values reported in the reports.
It is sufficient to understand the values of 3 chemical analyses (acidity, peroxides, polyphenols) and verify that no defects are reported in the organoleptic analysis.
Be able to acquire these skills in 10 minutes by reading these articles of ours:

How to read the chemical analysis of EVO oil

How to read the organoleptic analysis of EVO oil (Panel Test)

Transparency is a consumer's right

A serious and transparent producer has nothing to hide.
For this reason, we at Casa Julia we always provide the updated analysis of our oils: because consumers must be able to make an informed choice, just as they would in front of a used car, accompanied by a good mechanic.

It is time for EVO oil culture to take a quantum leap: we can no longer trust only taste or words.
It is time to look under the hood.