I sat beside a row of small cups, their green bowls disguising the colors of the earthy olive oil within. Cristina Stribacu, founder of LIA Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Messenia, Greece, was leading me through an olive oil tasting that was about to reveal just how much I didn’t know about the staple that sits on my countertop, an open spout making for easy pours (the first of many mistakes I would soon correct.)
Greece is the world’s leading producer of extra virgin olive oil, or EVOO. A bowl of golden goodness extracted from robust, green olives is ubiquitous at every table, three meals a day. To be designated EVOO, the oil must be entirely natural — no chemicals or artificial additives — and pass a stringent sensorial analysis.
