a couple of months ago, the atlantic monthly's food column was about olive oil. you probably bought an artisanal "tuscan-style" olive oil, which is apparently quite strong and a little bitter. (and, if the price is any indication, probably a good quality one.)

according to the article, that's actually the authentic italian dipping oil; the sweet, mild oils are an american preference. so your oil isn't bad, it's probably just not the style you were expecting.

I'm with Liz. you probably got a good quality Tuscan ir Tuscan style oil. Just not what you were exoecting, They usually finish with a spicy peppery taste.

Olive oil, like wine is a very personal preference. Try a bunch and then decide. Why not have an olive oil tasting party. Have friends bring their favorite or a new one they have wanted to try. Have a neutral tasting bread to dip and have at it. It will be fun and spread the cost of several bottles over everybody there.

Failing that you may want to stick with the larger narionally distributed brands in the US. They tend to be styled more to US tastes and smaller bottles are usually reasonable. So testing on your own might be easier.

For what it's worth, most "Italian" restaurants in the US use Spanish oil, which is not so aromatic and bitter, and more buttery. You might try some Spanish ones to see if they are more to your liking, BUT, the crop was very bad this year so prices are going to soar.

The alternative is Greek oil, again, more buttery in general, or southern Italian. Sicilian olive oils tend to have much less spice, and you might like them better.

The best way to find an oil you like is to go somewhere where you can taste before buying. Or ask your favorite restaurant what they use.

regards,
trillium

Cooks Illustrated (my fav magazine) did a tasting of grocery store olive oils.

If I remember correctly (big *IF*) the DaVinci brand was their recommendation.

I personally use the cheap TraderJoes OliveOil - regular stuff for cooking, extra virgin for dressings or dipping...

this is a good education - thanks all

my everyday olive oil is Zoe
(the one in rectangular cans)
It's organic, and Spanish

always on the hunt for more special 'finishing' EVOO

To sample different olive oil styles, try the sampling bar in most William Sonoma stores

Katie, I don't know what city you're in, but Olivier & Co. has a huge collection of olive oils that they'll let you sample in-store. Locations in NYC, Boston, Denver, San Francisco, etc.

FAIRWAY OLIO D'OLIVA EXTRA VERGINE (BIOLOGICA)
FAIRWAY OLIO D'OLIVA EXTRA VERGINE (BIOLOGICA)
FAIRWAY OLIO D'OLIVA EXTRA VERGINE (BIOLOGICA)
FAIRWAY OLIO D'OLIVA EXTRA VERGINE (BIOLOGICA)
FAIRWAY OLIO D'OLIVA EXTRA VERGINE (BIOLOGICA)

Fairway Brand is also the coffee of choice at the Pivoting Perfection.

Trust your Zio Paul

The artisan cheese shop I work in orders several oils (and balsamicos, but the really good ones will set you back at least $100) from the Rare Wine Company (http://www.rarewineco.com/home.html) Perusing their website I discovered that they have a newsletter about olive oil because the 2005 harvest is now available. You might want to check it out for more information.

At home I use either Spectrum or for dressings I use the Extra Virgin that comes in a 1 litre bottle from either Trader Joes or Whole Foods. They are quite light and also easy on the pocket book if you are using them in large quantities. For special things that oil flavor is really important (like a caprese)I use Podere San Guiseppe (but it is really expensive, about $25 for 1/2 liter).

I had an amazing olive oil a few weeks ago at Frankie's Spuntino in Brooklyn (I think it just opened on the LES, too). I think they sell bottles of it -- next time I go, I may have to splurge.

Here's a blog post from Heidi at 101 Cookbooks on taste-testing olive oil: http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001213.html

Several years ago I bought a can of Nicolas Alziari olive oil from Nach Waxman at his store Kitchen Arts and Letters. It's the only food product he carries. Now it's the only olive oil I use for dressing (sometimes just a drop of oil and some sea salt is enough)or dipping. It has a rich almost buttery flavor that I love. And the can is so beautiful - that wonderful Provencal combination of blue and yellow - that I use an empty one as a utensil holder. Citarella carries it in two sizes. It isn't cheap (I think about $14. for the smaller can) but it is wonderful. For cooking, I use Whole Foods 365 olive oil. Re: the bitter oil could be a function of where it's from but it may also have turned, which olive oil can do if it is exposed to too much heat and light.

Interesting comments above. I agree that spanish olive oil delivers a better taste and personally I prefer the spice and bite to a good olive oil. What matters to me is that it be organic. The advice above to ask at a restaurant is excellent. Their oils must be good. Having grown up on oil that I could actually drink, my biggest lesson was this: Fresh. Buy in small bottles. Oil gets rancid quickly. Those large containers aren't necessarily a savings because rancid oil is a bad thing.

And, it truly is a matter of personal taste so have the party, go to the restaurant and all that. I use Spectrum at times and at other times I buy the extra virgin in Whole Foods when its on sale. Depends.

Interesting, talking about the basics.

If you're in New York, head down to DiPalo's in Little Italy - buy their brand of olive oil. It's a total delight: I first tasted it at Tarallucci e Vino on 18th Street and had to flag down the waitress to find out where they bought their oil. It's delicious.

I'm more of an asian cooking person myself, but my husband is big on olive oil as a bread dipping. We get a rather inexpensive Greek brand that comes in big cans.

And here I disagree slightly with Jackie. I find that the big cans of olive oil seem to keep the freshness in and the rancidness out. Transparent bottles don't. We had a giant one from Costco that was good at the start and downright awful at the end.

Wow. thanks everyone!
Oh and for the record, it was extra virgin olive oil, but I don't remember the name (will check the brand and quantity later when get home and update). And the harsh/bitter taste was definitely just in the oil, I tasted it alone before I made anything with it.

Thanks again for all the advice, definitely heading to the Williams and Sonoma after work today armed with all this new knowledge!

i second the diPaolos comment, not only for olive oil but also for fresh mozzarella, fresh pecorino, sicilian lemon juice, and well, everything
another great olive oil nyc source is "that" pasta place on west houston, north side of the street (can't remember the name) east of 6th avenue
they do custom flavored and cut pasta, as well as my favorite Coluccio's at a steep discount
only $14 as opposed to the $19 they were asking up on Arthur Ave
its really damn good stuff

For cooking, I suppose I hardly pay attention... whatever is organic and cheapest at the grocery store.

But for dressings and dipping and finishing, my favorite oil isn't even Italian. I'm a big fan of Puget, which runs about $10 for a litre bottle, I think. And comes with a cute pour spout, yay! But that's not why you should get it. Get it cos it's tasty with a nice mild and green flavor.

I highly recommend Bariani Extra Virgin Olive Oil........
One of the finest i have ever tasted!

In NYC -- try Fairway's or Zabar's -- both excellent, flavorful values.

For a Spanish olive oil found in many grocers (at least throughout the NorthEast . . .) try Unio.

Hi,
Was the "bitter" taste actually an "astringent" quality? Because if so, that means you've got a really HEALTHY bottle of olive oil. There was a recent study that found that that astringent quality in olive oil indicates it's antinflammatory qualities (kind of like asprin) and that's what makes it so heart healthy.

But if you're looking for a delicious and high quality olive oil, I suggest the brand O Olive Oil. The family who makes the olive oil in Northern California (I think Petaluma) are into organic, sustainable agriculture. One of the family members is in the inner circle of Alice Waters and Chez Panisse. I can't say enough great things about this brand -- and you can find them at Whole Foods and Williams Sonoma. A really excellent product made by people who are passionate about food and the environment.

Interesting! I bought a couple of bottles of organic e.v.olive oil in Portugal (Romeu). When I tasted it at home, I found the taste good, but a bit "astringent". Now I know it's good for me & a matter of getting used to a flavour that is different to me. Thanks!
I'm looking forward to summer salads made with it.
I think it's best to keep oils away from light and away from heat. Hence the debate of transparent bottles vs. cans or dark glass bottles, I think..

From what I understand, the key to good oil olive is low acidity. If the bottle doesn't say its acid contents, I would only recommend it for cooking, not for dipping, dressings, etc. Most Italian Olive oil is a mixture of other olive oils, which is why they don't say the acidity level. It is possible to get Olive Oil with 0.01% acidity - and it is LOVELY! We get ours at Titan Foods in Astoria.

I've seen bottles with acidity level marked but did not know the meaning. lower=better, thanks asl. (I think mine had a tag that said it was 0.07...which I guess is high?)
This has been a very interesting subject. I did my own tasting at home with what I had, incl. olive oil that I use only for cooking with. It hadn't occurred to me before, but it's a good idea to know what it tastes like on its own & raw to better match it with food. Personal taste preferences count for much too.

A lot of good info on what olive oil to use for dipping but what is the best breads?