Oil-off – deux.
Or should that be “oil-off dos” or “oil-off due”? By giving this a French 2, I’ll keep everyone from getting mad at me. Or will it turn out everyone is mad at me?
Previously the left and right index fingers proved a reliable and effective method to compare two olive oils. Now for a grand total of about 50 cents less than either of our first two, Trader Joe’s offers even a third olive oil to tempt the digits. So here it is, a side-by-side and a side-by-memory triple comparison of Trader’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Trader Joe’s Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Trader Joe’s President’s Reserve Extra Virgin Olive Oil. A veritable, Oil à trois
The winner and still champion is TJ’s Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil. And the reason is olives. The Spanish variety still has that extra taste of olives that are lacking in both of the other TJ varieties. Especially where the olive oil won’t be overpowered by stronger flavors, TJ’s Spanish version is my choice.
That’s not to say TJ’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil is bad. It is in fact a very good olive oil. It is comparable to other everyday extra virgin olive oils found on supermarket shelves. Even though there wasn’t a bottle handy for direct comparison, it may be as good as TJ’s President’s Reserve.
There are two small label differences between the President’s Reserve and the plain TJ’s Extra Virgin. President’s Reserve is labeled “Product of Italy” where the regular TJ Extra Virgin is labeled “Packed in Italy”. President’s Reserve also has “100% Italian” on the label. TJ’s plain Extra Virgin does not. I wonder if that means in this crazy world that it’s actually a California olive oil shipped to Italy in a super tanker, packed there, shipped back to California (Trader Joe’s home), then to be distributed across the US to your local TJ’s?
Oh, and, just checked, TJ’s Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil is labeled “Product Of Spain”.
TJ’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a nice deep amber color. TJ’s Spanish is slightly lighter and has a green tint. Both are nice and thick (viscous) when rubbed between the fingers. The taste of TJ’s Extra Virgin is more “neutral”. There’s not much that stands out and shouts, unlike TJ’s Spanish which shouts “olives”. TJ’s Extra Virgin almost has a buttery feel and taste in the mouth. It’s hard to describe.
In any case, whether TJ’s President Reserve, TJ’s regular or TJ’s Spanish, any of these Extra Virgin Olive Oils are well worth the price. When I have that extra 50 cents, my choice will still be TJ’s Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil. To see what others say, try this link (especially number 23 on the list).
Calories 120 per tablespoon (15 ml) Price $5.49 per liter
Tags: calories, comparison, differences, food, price, review, reviews, tj, tj's, trader joe's, vegetarian
Ain't Found A Good Title Blog 
09/07/2011 at 20:22 |
I just brought home TJ’s EVOO (the one pictured) that says “Packed in Italy.” But, I also found, stamped on the back, “With oils of EU: Italy, Spain and Greece)
OH – thanks for the reviews – I previously bought and enjoyed the TJ’s Kalamata EVOO, but thought I’d try this one, as it’s much less $. I don’t expect it to stand up, but we’ll see…
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