Have you ever tasted extra virgin olive oil and felt a stinging or burning sensation in your throat? You might have wondered if it was a flaw or a sign of something good. Luckily, the answer is clear: when EVOO stings, it’s often a great indicator of quality. So, Why Does Olive Oil Burn Your Throat? Learn How to Spot a Quality EVOOIn this article, we’ll explain why this happens, what it really means, and how you can use this sensation to judge the quality of the olive oil you’re using or about to buy.
Many people think that extra virgin olive oil should be mild, sweet, or almost tasteless. In reality, good EVOO is a living product, rich in aromas and beneficial compounds. When fresh, freshly milled, and made from healthy olives, a high-quality olive oil presents three key sensory characteristics:
These sensations are not flaws, but positive attributes. An oil that doesn’t sting or taste bitter is likely flat, lacking in healthful and aromatic compounds.
The answer lies in polyphenols, antioxidant molecules naturally found in olives — especially those harvested early, when they are still green. One of the most famous is oleocanthal, the main compound responsible for the stinging sensation in the throat. The more oleocanthal an oil contains, the more pungent it will be.
Polyphenols:
A polyphenol-rich EVOO is more stable, more flavorful, and more beneficial to your health.
Not every extra virgin olive oil is equally bitter or pungent. Some olive varieties produce milder oils, others are more robust.
Coratina, for example, is a cultivar known for bold, intense oils with a high level of fruitiness, bitterness, and pungency. This is the case with our Acerbato Premium (intensely fruity) and Monocultivar Coratina (medium fruity).
Peranzana, on the other hand, yields a more delicate, harmonious oil — ideal for those who prefer a gentler flavor, like in our Multivarietale, which blends Coratina and Peranzana for a balanced profile.
Other cultivars, like Biancolilla, Favolosa, or again Peranzana, tend to produce oils with a light to medium fruitiness and subtle bitterness and pungency — but these characteristics are still present. The key point is that fruitiness, bitterness, and pungency must be perceptible, even if at lower intensities depending on the variety. Their presence is what marks a true high-quality extra virgin olive oil.
Many supermarket olive oils, often sold at very low prices, taste flat, overly sweet, or lack any stinging or bitterness. That’s usually because:
The result is an anonymous, overly mild product that may seem pleasant but is low in polyphenols and offers fewer health benefits.
An EVOO that stings, is bitter, and has a rich aroma is almost always a high-quality oil, made from premium cultivars like Coratina or Peranzana. These are complex, bold oils that reflect the land they come from and the care of those who produce them.
So, next time you taste an oil that tingles in your throat, don’t frown — it could be the clearest sign that it’s a truly excellent EVOO.
