Can Olive Oil Burn Your Throat When Swallowed?

Can olive oil (organic quality) burn your throat when swallowed?

Without having the oil in front of us, we cannot give a remote diagnosis. But we assume that everything is fine with their oil.

In German supermarkets you will almost exclusively find olive oil of the highest quality. It is called “extra virgin” – or “extra virgin”. The EU olive oil regulation places many demands on oils in this category. Among other things, they must be sensor-free.

In addition to a fruity note in smell and taste, positive characteristics of virgin olive oils are also pungent and bitter taste components. The latter is often unknown to many consumers.

These flavors are due to the secondary plant substances contained, which can vary depending on the region, climate, soil, etc.

What trained olive oil testers understand by fruity, bitter and pungent, we have listed here in an abbreviated form:

Fruity: a fruity note, either green-grassy or ripe-fruity (with smell and taste notes of ripe fruit, nutty and herbal notes).

Bitter: a bitter taste note.
According to the Olive Oil Characteristics Regulation, this is an elementary taste that is typical of oils from green or ripening olives and is perceived with the bitter receptors on the tongue.

Sharp: a certain sharpness that is sometimes felt as a scratchy throat.
According to the Olive Oil Characteristics Ordinance, a tingling sensation is felt that is typical of oils obtained from unripe olives and can be felt throughout the oral cavity and especially in the throat.

The sore throat you described could be due to a fairly high proportion of unripe harvested olives in the oil. Fresh oils also often have a slightly sharper note. The quality of the oil is certainly very good. If you don’t like the sharpness, you could mix the oil with a milder variety.