How to recognise real virgin olive oil in Morocco

Olive oil is in every Moroccan kitchen, for cooking and for dipping bread at breakfast. But not everything sold as "beldi oil" has the same quality. Here are a few simple signs.

1. Smell before colour

A good virgin olive oil smells of fresh olives, sometimes of cut grass or green apple. A mouldy, earthy or vinegary smell points to an old oil, or one made from damaged olives.

Colour alone tells you little: oil can be green or golden depending on the variety and the harvest date, and both can be good.

2. Taste: a little bitterness and a peppery throat

Taste a small spoonful. A good virgin oil often leaves a slight bitterness and a peppery feeling in the throat. That is normal and comes from fresh olives. An oil with no taste at all may be refined or blended.

3. Ask about the harvest

Olive oil does not get better with age. Prefer oil from the latest harvest, kept away from light and heat in a closed container.

4. The fridge test: don't rely on it

Some say real olive oil sets in the fridge. In fact, that depends on the oil's composition and the temperature: it proves neither that the oil is pure nor that it is blended. Smell, taste and origin matter more.

5. Buy from a source you know

The best guarantee is a seller who clearly states where the oil comes from and exchanges the product if it arrives with a defect.

Al Haouzia virgin olive oil, 5 L is 225 DH, pressed the traditional way. You pay when your order arrives, delivered all over Morocco.

How to store olive oil

• In a dark, cool place, away from the oven.
• Close the can tightly after each use.
• With a large can, fill a small bottle for everyday use and keep the rest closed.