Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Question about taste

[msgenie516]

Hi,

I am still very new to pizza making but I have read a lot of comments that EVOO is highly regarded.  I never tried it before, but I bought a bottle of Filippo Berio EVOO.  I have to say that I tasted it (right out of the bottle) and didn't like it at all.     What I would like to know is, is it just that brand?  Or does it taste better when cooked on the pizza?  Or am I just one of the few people that don't like it?  It is not near being expired, so that shouldn't be the problem.

I would appreciate any suggestions!    Genie

[norma427]

Hi,

I am still very new to pizza making but I have read a lot of comments that EVOO is highly regarded.  I never tried it before, but I bought a bottle of Filippo Berio EVOO.  I have to say that I tasted it (right out of the bottle) and didn't like it at all.     What I would like to know is, is it just that brand?  Or does it taste better when cooked on the pizza?  Or am I just one of the few people that don't like it?  It is not near being expired, so that shouldn't be the problem.

I would appreciate any suggestions!    Genie

Genie,

I use Filippo Berio Olive Oil for the oil in making most of my pizza doughs, also to oil pans for Sicilian Pizzas, Greek Pizzas, and also in my sauces.  I use the Sauteing & Grilling kind.  It also can be used for sauteing fresh herbs to be used in sauces. 

I never noticed any off flavors in my pizzas or sauces using the Filippo Berio Brand.  I also use the Sauteing & Grilling Brand to fry most of my foods I make at home.  I am well satisfied with this olive oil.

I also use this oil for all my pizza doughs at market.

Norma

[Pete-zza]

Genie,

If you look at the photo at Reply 2 at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,862.msg7887.html#msg7887, you can see in the background the can of Fillipo Berio olive oil that Dom DeMarco used/uses at DiFara's. Also, at 1:12 of the You Tube video at

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nbhux8cBW4" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nbhux8cBW4</a>

, you will hear Louise Cimieneri of Totonno's mention the Fillipo Berio olive oil used in her pizzeria. There are different versions of the Filippo Berio oil (see http://www.filippoberio.com/Products/) but as a brand it is apparently good enough for DiFara's and Totonno's.

Peter

[scott123]

I am still very new to pizza making but I have read a lot of comments that EVOO is highly regarded.

It depends on the style of pizza you're making.  EVOO is critical to Neapolitan and pretty common for coal, but for traditional thin crust NY style, most pizzeria's gravitate towards more neutral tasting (and less expensive) oils.

As far as your displeasure with the taste of your oil, I wouldn't discount rancidity.  EVOO is the most perishable oil you can buy.  The manner in which EVOO is bottled and stored can render expiration dates meaningless.  Heat, light and air are it's enemies. Clear bottles hasten deterioration because they don't block light. If the oil was stored in a warm place, that would have done it in as well.

The other possibility, and I think this is highly unlikely with a supermarket EVOO, is that the oil was incredibly fresh.  Right after pressing, EVOO can have a slight bitterness- a bitterness that mellows after a few weeks.

A decent way of judging freshness is to refrigerate the oil (unless you consume it quickly, EVOO should be refrigerated anyway).  Really fresh EVOO will stay clear/liquid in the fridge.  If it turns cloudy but is still liquid, it's not quite as fresh, but still in excellent shape. If it solidifies, that's a sign of old and/or mistreated oil. Solidification doesn't guarantee rancidity, but if it doesn't taste that good and it solidifies when refrigerated, I would say that's a pretty clear indication that it's off.

[msgenie516]

Hi Norma & Peter,

I think I worded this wrong.  I don't want to give the impression that I think the Filippo Berio brand is not good, but I think I may just not like extra virgin olive oil at all.  However, I was wondering if different brands have different tastes.  Really, it just could be me, maybe just because I'm not used to oil that tastes so strong.  Thanks for the input!     Genie

[msgenie516]

It depends on the style of pizza you're making.  EVOO is critical to Neapolitan and pretty common for coal, but for traditional thin crust NY style, most pizzeria's gravitate towards more neutral tasting (and less expensive) oils.

As far as your displeasure with the taste of your oil, I wouldn't discount rancidity.  EVOO is the most perishable oil you can buy.  The manner in which EVOO is bottled and stored can render expiration dates meaningless.  Heat, light and air are it's enemies. Clear bottles hasten deterioration because they don't block light. If the oil was stored in a warm place, that would have done it in as well.

The other possibility, and I think this is highly unlikely with a supermarket EVOO, is that the oil was incredibly fresh.  Right after pressing, EVOO can have a slight bitterness- a bitterness that mellows after a few weeks.

A decent way of judging freshness is to refrigerate the oil (unless you consume it quickly, EVOO should be refrigerated anyway).  Really fresh EVOO will stay clear/liquid in the fridge.  If it turns cloudy but is still liquid, it's not quite as fresh, but still in excellent shape. If it solidifies, that's a sign of old and/or mistreated oil. Solidification doesn't guarantee rancidity, but if it doesn't taste that good and it solidifies when refrigerated, I would say that's a pretty clear indication that it's off.

Hi, 

I just put the oil in the refrigerator and I'll check on it later.  Come to think of it, it did taste kind of rancid to me but I don't know how it's supposed to taste!  Thanks for the hint!     Genie

[PizzaHog]

Hi Msgenie
Yes indeed, diff brands of EVOO can taste way different.  Like wine to those in the know, there are diff varietals, gowing areas, brands, and even "tastings" that can be found to try them yourself.
Sometimes we don't care for the taste of something straight up, but enjoy what it adds when used as one of many ingredients.  In my case I don't care for sage but would not think of eating dressing or sausage gravy without it.

[norma427]

Scott 123 may be right about your olive oil turning rancid.  I have used the Filippo Berio Olive Oil for many years and it never had a rancid taste.  I just tasted some of mine here at home and the taste is very mild.  It hardly has any flavor at all.  I never store mine in the refrigerator but other people may do that.  My Filippo Berio olive oil at market that is sometimes in a big can, looks just like what Dom DeMarco’s olive oil looks like in the picture Peter referenced.  At market even in the hot summer the oil never has turned rancid on me.

This is a picture I just took of the kind of Filippo Berio Olive oil I use.  Of course there are other brands of olive oil that are great for making pizza.

PizzaHog is right also, we all have different tastes.

Picture below

Norma

[Bill/SFNM]

That doesn't look like Extra Virgin Olive Oil. That doesn't mean it isn't suitable for cooking and other uses, but I prefer extra-virgin oil for pizzas.   

[norma427]

That doesn't look like Extra Virgin Olive Oil. That doesn't mean it isn't suitable for cooking and other uses, but I prefer extra-virgin oil for pizzas.   

Bill,

What I use isn't Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I just searched images on Google for the kind I use in a big can.  This is the picture I found. 

I agree that everyone has their own preferences for the type of olive oil they like to use in making pizzas.

Norma

[Bill/SFNM]

Bill,

What I use isn't Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I just searched images on Google for the kind I use in a big can.  This is the picture I found. 

I agree that everyone has their own preferences for the type of olive oil they like to use in making pizzas.

Norma

I agree Norma.

If you are putting the oil on the pie before baking, many of the more delicate and volatile aromas will be cooked off. If I use olive oil, I tend to drizzle it on after baking.

[msgenie516]

Hi,

Well, I figured it out!  The bottle of olive oil I put in the refrigerator never turned cloudy at all, not even when I put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  So I believe it is fresh.  If it makes any difference, the color of the oil is green.

I also purchased a very small bottle of Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oil and detected the same flavor in it that I disliked in the Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  So my conclusion is that I simply don't like Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  I never had a problem with the other, milder tasting varieties.

This may be due to the fact that I didn't even know what pizza was until I met my husband when I was 15 years old (way back in 1962--we got married in 1965 and last August, we celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary).  My mom basically cooked only German food (tried a few other things with not too much success) as she arrived in the U.S. from Germany in 1937 at also only 15 years old.  Her family was "transplanted" from Germany and continued all the German traditions, including the food.  So Extra Virgin Olive Oil was never included in the menu.

We were so "German" that my mom used to speak with me in German (which I understood perfectly) but I would answer her in English and never even realize what happened.  My friends were always flabbergasted when they heard these conversations!  My mom is 89 now and lives with me, as I take care of her.  The other day, she did the same thing on purpose just to see what I would do!  She said something to me in German and I answered her in English--I guess old habits never die!  She then told me she did that to see if I still understood, which I did.

I consider myself lucky to have familiarized myself enough with pizza that I can now come up with a decent pie but I guess I'll never like EVOO!

Thanks for all your help and suggestions and have a good night!     Genie

P.S.  I should add that I am EXTREMELY sensitive to flavors and odors, so that may also be part of the problem.

[chickenparm]

Genie,
As you and others have stated,there are different brands of that kind of oil and they will taste a bit different.Some do not taste very well from the bottle,but shine when adding to a sauce or to a pizza.

Also,one thing I learned,even if the bottle says Imported from Italy,read the label.It may sometimes say the product oil is derived/comes from Countries such as Italy,Turkey,Greece,Tunisia,Spain or etc.Those countries have stamped letter codes. For example, I have a small bottle of DaVinci EVOO.

The cap itself says Imported from Italy.Yet on the label,it reads the oil may have come from one of the following countries: the ones I listed above.The stamping codes are I=Italy,SP=Spain,TN=Tunisia,TK=Turkey,and GR=Greece.

The product stamping on top of the cap I have right now,with the dates and etc, says SP which =Spain!

So the oil is from Spain but its bottled in Italy.

Yet the ads can be misleading saying its Imported from Italy.It is not lying,no,but most of us that buy it will auto-assume its all from there!I'm sure the marketing Teams are aware of that!(Unless we read the label print and check the codes)
 

I have found some differences in taste when using these different Oils supposedly from Italy but many are  not actually from there.I am not saying the Oil has to be from Italy to be the best,but so far,the Better OO,or EV-OO bottles I have tried that actually came from Italy,were the best.

One of my favorites is sold through the Food Lion Food stores,under the brand name of "Tastes of Inspirations",and as far as I know,the oil is from Italy.Its very good.I have fried breaded chicken in it and the smell and taste is incredible over say,canola oil or veg oil.

When I make chicken parmigiana,and bread crumb the chicken in Italian style bread crumbs,I prefer the OO over the canola or vegetable to fry it in.It infuses it with flavor not found in other oils.

The oil you have can very well be from Italy too,but this is something I wanted to point out to people online to know that there can be differences from different countries,and the cold press process made to make olive oil can vary from place to place.

OO is alot like tomatoes...we try many different brands until we find the ones that make our pizza and sauces better than what any other store brand can offer.
 

I wanted to add,lastly,just tasting the oils from the bottles can be unpleasant for some.Same as Vegetable oil...we never really take the time to taste them out of the bottles,but we know what it can do for our food.
What would fried chicken be without some nice hot canola or veg oil to fry in?Yet taste them by themselves,they dont taste very good.

Cooking with it is key.
 

[ArtisanalFoodLover]

Hi,

Well, I figured it out!  The bottle of olive oil I put in the refrigerator never turned cloudy at all, not even when I put it in the freezer for about 15 minutes.  So I believe it is fresh.  If it makes any difference, the color of the oil is green.

I also purchased a very small bottle of Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oil and detected the same flavor in it that I disliked in the Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  So my conclusion is that I simply don't like Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  I never had a problem with the other, milder tasting varieties.

This may be due to the fact that I didn't even know what pizza was until I met my husband when I was 15 years old (way back in 1962--we got married in 1965 and last August, we celebrated our 45th wedding anniversary).  My mom basically cooked only German food (tried a few other things with not too much success) as she arrived in the U.S. from Germany in 1937 at also only 15 years old.  Her family was "transplanted" from Germany and continued all the German traditions, including the food.  So Extra Virgin Olive Oil was never included in the menu.

We were so "German" that my mom used to speak with me in German (which I understood perfectly) but I would answer her in English and never even realize what happened.  My friends were always flabbergasted when they heard these conversations!  My mom is 89 now and lives with me, as I take care of her.  The other day, she did the same thing on purpose just to see what I would do!  She said something to me in German and I answered her in English--I guess old habits never die!  She then told me she did that to see if I still understood, which I did.

I consider myself lucky to have familiarized myself enough with pizza that I can now come up with a decent pie but I guess I'll never like EVOO!

Thanks for all your help and suggestions and have a good night!     Genie

P.S.  I should add that I am EXTREMELY sensitive to flavors and odors, so that may also be part of the problem.

The Fridge test doesn't always work, but it does help. According to this: http://olivecenter.ucdavis.edu/news-events/news/files/olive%20oil%20final%20071410%20.pdf, 2 of the 3 samples they had from Filippo Berio failed the EVOO test. As far as home tests go, there's really no sure-fire way to tell that you have the real thing, but a good guide can be found here: http://www.artisanal-olive-oil.com/How-to-tell-if-your-Extra-Virgin-Olive-Oil-is-real

Hope this helps!