Olive oil has always had a certain mystique about it. There’s something in the way it catches the light - warm, green-gold, slow-moving that feels elemental, almost ancient. And perhaps that’s because it is. Long before it became a kitchen staple, it was a symbol of purity, wealth and endurance. It anointed kings. It lit lamps. It was, quite literally, the oil that kept the world turning.
Today, it’s more likely to appear drizzled over sourdough or pooled beside burrata. But for all its familiarity, olive oil is still very much deserving of its reverence - especially the kind that’s made properly.
What makes a great olive oil is not unlike what makes a great wine. It starts in the grove - with old trees and healthy soil, with elevation and climate with care. The olives must be harvested at just the right moment, pressed cold, and bottled fresh. The difference between that and the mass-produced supermarket offerings is, quite frankly, night and day.
True extra virgin olive oil, when it’s young and well-made, has a bite to it - peppery, green, almost grassy - a flavour that doesn’t sit back politely, but leans forward. It’s not just a backdrop to cooking; it’s an ingredient that insists on being noticed. That bitterness and spice? Those are signs of polyphenols, the compounds responsible for its extraordinary health benefits. Heart-friendly, antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory, it’s as good for you as it tastes.
Yet it is often treated as an afterthought. Something kept by the stove and used until gone, replaced without question. We wouldn’t do this with wine and we shouldn’t with olive oil. Good oil deserves the same level of consideration: how it was made, where it came from, what makes it distinctive. A great bottle can transform the simplest ingredients; tomatoes, beans, bread - into something remarkable. A curl of sea salt, a glug of oil, and suddenly you’re in the hills of Tuscany or the markets of Kalamata.
In recent years, we’ve seen a quiet movement gathering pace. Small producers reclaiming traditional methods. Early harvest oils that taste more alive. Bottles designed to be displayed, not hidden in a cupboard. Olive oil, once again, is being given its due. And rightly so.
It is no exaggeration to say that a proper bottle of olive oil is one of the most versatile, life-enhancing things you can own. It’s not just for salads. It’s for spooning over warm lentils, finishing a risotto, baking a cake. It belongs on the table, alongside your wine glass, not relegated to the back of the pantry. And yes - it’s that good.
So if you’ve never poured it over vanilla ice cream, now might be the time. If you’ve never really tasted olive oil on its own, a piece of bread, a pinch of salt, you’re in for something quite special.
Liquid gold isn’t a metaphor. It’s a reality in a green-tinted bottle. All that remains is to treat it like the treasure it is.
