Olive oil tasting in Istria

Why is it important to taste olive oil? Today, various categories of olive oils, oils of very different qualities, can be found on the market. That’s why it’s particularly important to understand how oil is classified, what the categories of olive oils are, and how to recognize each of them. How to read labels on oil bottles, which data are important, how long the oil can be used, how to use it in your diet, and so on.

During the guided tasting, you will smell and taste olive oils. We will teach you which are the positive and negative attributes of olive oils. You will learn how to taste properly, what scents and flavors can be found in extra virgin olive oil, what the differences are between different varieties, and how rounded and interesting olive oils can be when multiple varietal oils are blended into one. Every olive grower creates their special blends, and here you can taste the oils of the best Istrian olive growers.

A stay in Istria leaves indelible traces in the memory of anyone who has briefly experienced the magic of the rolling green hills of northern Istria or the olive groves alongside the vast blue sea in the south. Encounters with nature, the valuable inhabitants of Istria, and the products of the land have enriched many travelers and visitors to the Istrian peninsula for centuries.

Even ancient Roman writers praised the Istrian region, abundant with olive groves and high-quality oil. Pliny the Elder placed Istrian oil among the best oils in the Roman Empire, and Martial compared his homeland to the quality of Istrian oil.

Many distinguished Roman citizens, senators, and even emperors visited Istria during that time. Some established olive oil production facilities in the area, such as the oil mill in Barbariga in southern Istria, which was one of the largest in the Mediterranean at the time.

Others founded ceramic factories to produce amphorae, which were used to transport oil, just like the Roman senator Gaius Laecanius Bassus. He had a large amphora factory in the Fažana area near Pula, the remains of which have been found all over Europe. These findings have shed light on where Istrian oil was exported during Roman times.

During the Byzantine period, Cassiodorus referred to Istria as “regio olivis referta,” a region brimming with olives.

In the 16th century, on the orders of Pope Gregory XIII, Veronese Bishop Agostino Valier visited Istria. His report tells us that olive cultivation and olive oil played a significant role in the lives of the people of Istria in the 16th century and that legal disputes were even held over the olive groves.

At the end of the 19th century, French travel writer Charles Yriarte wrote about the wealth of Rovinj, with its numerous olive trees, and how boats of all kinds came to Rovinj for the local specialty, olive oil.

Just as in the past, today, many nature and good food enthusiasts visit Istria. They explore the roads of Istrian olive oil and visit the House of Istrian Olive Oil to go on oil-tasting tours to understand the flavors and aromas of real extra virgin olive oil.