What Is Oleocanthal? Why Good Olive Oil Tastes Peppery
Updated: 8 hours ago
Taste a spoonful of fresh extra virgin olive oil and you may feel a peppery catch at the back of your throat, sometimes strong enough to make you cough. That sensation comes from oleocanthal, one of the natural polyphenols found in fresh olive oil.
You may have seen olive oil linked to inflammation online. No health claim about olive oil and inflammation is approved in the UK, so in this article we stick to the facts: what oleocanthal is, where it comes from, and what it tells you about the oil in your bottle.
What is oleocanthal?
Oleocanthal is a phenolic compound that forms naturally when olives are crushed. It is found in extra virgin olive oil but largely lost in refined oils. It is responsible for the throat-catching, peppery finish that olive oil tasters look for.
Why does olive oil make your throat tingle?
The peppery catch is felt at the back of the throat rather than on the tongue, which is why it can take you by surprise. Professional tasters treat it as a positive attribute: a strong peppery finish usually signals a fresh oil with plenty of polyphenols.
Which olive oils have the most oleocanthal?
Polyphenol levels depend on several things:
Harvest timing: olives picked early, while still green, give oil that is richer in polyphenols
Olive variety: varieties such as Picual and Cornicabra are naturally high in polyphenols
Speed of extraction: the faster olives reach the mill, the more polyphenols the oil keeps
Freshness and storage: polyphenols decline over time and with heat and light
Our Early Harvest extra virgin olive oil is made from Cornicabra, Picual and Arbequina olives picked green in mid-October and cold-extracted within 5 hours of collection. It contains over 500 mg/kg of polyphenols, and you can taste them in its bitterness and peppery finish.
How to taste it
Pour a little oil into a small glass and warm it in your hand.
Smell it: fresh oil smells of cut grass, green apple, tomato leaf or almond.
Sip a small amount and draw in some air.
Notice the bitterness on your tongue, then the pepper at the back of your throat.
Frequently asked questions
Is a peppery olive oil a good sign?
Yes. A peppery finish is a sign of a fresh oil that is rich in polyphenols.
Does cooking destroy oleocanthal?
Heat reduces polyphenols. To enjoy the full flavour, use early harvest oil raw: drizzled over salads, bread, vegetables and finished dishes.
Do all extra virgin olive oils contain oleocanthal?
Most do, but the amount varies widely depending on the olives, the harvest and how fresh the oil is.
What are the approved health claims for olive oil polyphenols?
There is one: olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress. It only applies to oils containing at least 5mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives per 20g of oil, with the benefit coming from a daily intake of 20g.
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