Pairing Food with Olive Oil

You can create harmonious flavors by pairing food with olive oil. It is similar to pairing wine and food. Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOOs) are varied in taste. The multiplicity of tastes and aromas make olive oil attractive to consumers or food professionals who are looking for taste sensations to match each meal. We at Energaea are producing different flavors of olive oil covering most of culinary options.
There are basically two distinct ways to pair olive oil with food: complimentary and contrasting.
• Complimentary flavors: blend of two similar ingredients where you do not overpower primary flavors
o Delicate oils (mild) will enrich and complement subtle flavors like fish, mushrooms, mayonnaise, seafood pasta and baking. Greek salad is pairing with mild olive oil like Manaki and Megaron.
o Intense oils will enrich and complement heartier foods like ready meats and rich pastas. Add our Thalea koroneiki on bitter greens or a spicy brochette with salmon and capers.

• Contrasting flavors: tasting each ingredient separately, this can add interest like spreading olive oil over fresh mozzarella or drizzling medium oil over pecorino cheese.

Extra-virgin olive oils come with different aromas, taste and color. People often believe that they can tell an extra virgin olive oil because it is green in color and has a strong taste. This is not true. Extra virgin olive oil ranges from a light yellow color to a deep green and from a mild (low intensity) to bold or robust (high intensity). The quality of any extra – virgin olive oil is dependent on several factors: climate, type of olive, time of harvest, harvesting method, and production process.
Taste to Suit your Cooking Needs
It’s always a fun activity to taste different olive oils to determine what is best to suit your cooking needs. Don’t forget that heat destroys many of the complex flavors and aromas of olive oil, so only use premium EVOO as a finisher.

Olive oil and drink? Why not!
Add 3-4ml of our premium olive oils on top of a white martini or vodka instead of olive. A small green distinguished part of olive oil will be an extremely surprise, releasing its flavor each time you taste your favorite drink.