I Tried the £17 Olive Oil That Goes Weirdly Well With Chocolate

Unless you have a grease kink, olive oil might not be the sexiest thing in your kitchen. It’s nowhere near as thrilling as the fancy gadgets we’ve all been tricked into getting, like, say, a top-of-the-range spiraliser. But Citizens of Soil, a female-led and UK-based company, have managed to make it a little more exciting. After a little taste test of their Mediterranean elixirs, I'm ready to spill the beans on my experience.

I got my hands on two of their frontrunner contenders: Greek and Croatian. One of them came in a glass bottle, complete with cork, while the other arrived in a refillable pouch (which you can get at any Waitrose, BTW). 

Here’s how I put these olive oils to the test: Following the brand’s recommendations, I paired the Greek olive oil with summer salads, used it to make my own chimichurri sauce, and—for the sake of science—drizzled it over some vanilla ice cream, which was surprisingly tasty, like something you’d order at a bougie tapas bar. This bottle was undoubtedly my favourite: warm aromas of red apple, like a gentle Mediterranean breeze on my taste buds, with a rich, buttery taste and hints of basil and mint. I slathered it on many a sourdough slice.

The Croatian olive oil, on the other hand, had a hint of bitterness that took me by surprise,  probably thanks to the nose of chicory listed on the website. Not exactly my fav, but, hey, taste is a personal thing. I found its edgy side worked better when I needed a bold flavour, like when I wanted to pep up some bland post-pub pasta.

Still, I was determined to enjoy the bitter and peppery aftertaste in a proper meal. I invited a couple of friends for dinner to be my unwilling guinea pigs. Pairing the oil with cheese was quite nice. Served as a dip on the side, the sharp kick of the oil complemented the flavours of a melty Gorgonzola and a sharp Pecorino. I made an asparagus risotto with a couple of healthy glugs, which I have to admit I would've preferred without, but my friends seemed to enjoy. 

Finally, I got my guests to dunk some dark chocolate into the olive oil—a recommendation from Citizens of Soil—which, again, was surprisingly quite tasty, and definitely something I’ve done since in bed when I needed a little sweet treat. It seems like the sweet-and-unlikely pairings of the olive oils are the winners. 

I was also pleased to learn that Citizens of Soil don’t just care about olive oil—the whole "reusable bottles and refill pouches'' schtick is also pretty nifty and good for the planet. Their transparent supply chain also lets you in on where every drop comes from, and helped reassure me that the folks behind it are getting their fair share, which is sadly not something every kitchen staple can claim to do. They're all about giving back with their 1% for the Planet membership, which means that they give 1 percent of their total sales to soil non-profits like Kiss The Ground and the Sustainable Soils Alliance. You get to do a little good for the world while elevating your cooking—can't really argue with that.

You're probably wondering if this is worth the coin. Well, here's the deal: If you're someone who enjoys cooking and eating good food, you'll be into Citizens of Soil. Sure, it's a little on the expensive side, but the brand also gets pretty solid ethical plus points. But if you’re the kind of person who’s happy to subsist off the kind of own-brand supermarket olive oil that comes in big plastic bottles (no shade, but oil stored that way is actually pretty bad for you), you’ll probably balk at the price: The Citizens of Soil EVOO refill subscription retails at £13.50 a month. 

For my money, that’s actually relatively reasonable for a high quality olive oil, and it comes with the name of its farmers, the variety, and the specific region of the Mediterranean that it hails from, plus a selection of seasonal recipes. As a one-off, bottles start at £17.50—you could arguably do worse for a responsibly sourced kitchen necessity. 

Consider it a treat for your taste buds; something to use in dishes to impress your foodie friend. And even if the idea of a bitter olive oil doesn’t exactly set your world on fire, it might be a good shout for impressing your posh in-laws at Christmas.