Review: Trader Joe's California Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Ounce for ounce and dollar for dollar, it is hard to beat the selection of olive oils that Trader Joe's offers in its stores. For most everyday cooking and even fancier fare, on the shelves at Trader Joe's, you're likely to find an oil that satisfies at least some of your needs in the kitchen.

My personal Trader Joe's favorite is Martinis, a Kalamata extra virgin olive oil that's usually cheap and comes in a big bottle. I've also enjoyed TJ's Tuscan-style offering, though I don't think I've written a formal review of it yet.

But today, we're writing about Trader Joe's "Extra Virgin California Estate Olive Oil." For the full review and my rating of it on my "Top 25" scale, hit the jump.

For under $10, you get to experience what I think is a fair representation of California olive oil, at least that which comes from the Arbequina varieties of olives. Arbequina is the most widely available olive in California, so there really is no shortage of this oil on the market at the moment.

Trader Joe's markets theirs as an unfiltered "new harvest" olive oil -- though, I'm not quite sure what that means. Was the harvest in the fall of 2007 or earlier this year? Is it simply newer than the older bottles of California olive oil it may still have in its inventory? We don't know because the bottle doesn't note when the oil was produced. Oh well.

The bottle label also announces that it contains estate oil, which generally means the vast majority of the oil is coming from olives that were produced in one particular plot of land or immediate locale. But Trader Joe's doesn't disclose the geographic region where the oil comes from. Again: Oh well.

But for under $10, a 500 mL bottle of this olive oil -- though ILoveOliveOilBlog.com wishes for better labelling -- is a pretty good deal.

This is how it did on my 25-point rating scale , where I grade for Aroma, Taste and overall Harmony. (What is this rating scale all about, you say? click here to learn about it.)

For Aroma, I found it to carry notes of fresh cut grass and spicy pepper. It had a robust, forward approach that announced itself to your nose and palate before you ever put your lips to it. I liked it. Score: 4 out of 5.

For Taste, it was a little more subdued than its aroma would suggest. Mild and mellow, with a slight peppery after-burn is how I'd describe it. I also found its mouth-feel to be thick and viscous. It definitely had some body. Score: 5 out of 8.

For Harmony, though it has a pleasing aroma, I was waiting for a more robust flavor to hit my taste buds. I'm not sure that an "estate" version for Arbequina olives will offer the best taste, but the ubiquity of that type of olive oil in California means that producers and distributors can mass market such a product to consumers. Score: 8 out of 12.

Final Score: 17 out of 25

Rating: Premium

All that being said, this is an inexpensive, handy olive oil to keep in your kitchen, especially if you believe in keeping two or three different types of EVOO in your cupboard. I've used this oil to make salad dressings and marinades, and even in light sauteeing. It is cheap enough to cook with, so why not?

:: For some discussion on Trader Joe's olive oil offerings, check out this discussion board at Chowhound.