Volume II · Scene 18 of 30
The words extra virgin
Every oil has its own name
Olive oil comes from olives.
Sunflower oil comes from sunflower seeds.
They are different foods.
Those who sell them must tell the truth about what they contain.
5. Name
6. Olive oil
7. Sunflower oil
@ A.D.O.S. INTERNATIONALThe story
Leo has heard the words extra virgin many times. Neri writes them on a card. “They name a precise category of oil. Getting liquid out of olives and choosing a pretty bottle is not enough.” It must be obtained using the specified processes. Its characteristics must be measured.
Its smell and taste must meet precise rules too. Competent adults check them. Rumo thinks of the green sign he wanted to make in the olive grove. Now he knows why words need evidence. Sami looks at the map: no single stage, on its own, gives the oil its final name. Ada leaves the card beside the pictures of the checks. That is where those words find an explanation. Curiosone returns to the taster’s words. “An aroma of olives and bitterness can be good signs. On their own, though, they do not prove that an oil is authentic or extra virgin. Professional tasting, analyses and checks are needed.” Rumo leaves the card beside the two pictures: the nose and the instruments.
Let’s talk about it
Is every oil fresh from the mill automatically extra virgin?
One possible answer
No. To use that name, the oil must meet the category’s requirements, verified through the specified checks. Aroma and bitterness alone do not prove authenticity or extra virgin category: professional checks and analyses are needed.
A little activity
Our notebook — Link the words extra virgin to the pictures of the checks. An adult can help you recognise them on a real label.
For the adult · N05