“There are as many kinds of olive oils as wines,” says the owner of the recently opened olive-oil bar Mediterranica, Marco, who came to Budapest from Croatia with the mission of promoting olive culture. Naturally, they don’t have every single type of olive oil in the small store (yet), but the selection is growing, and except for a few permanent products, they change the brands on the shelves on a regular basis to allow those interested to try as many kinds as possible. However, they can still reorder customer favorites.
As for the places of origin, most of the oils come from Italy, Spain, Croatia, and Greece, since these regions provide the perfect conditions for growing the highest-quality olives.Since this place is not just about commerce but also serves as the headquarters for a personal mission, the store offers tastings and even an olive-oil crash course, which we also tried: we tasted five kinds of olive oils in total, and in the first round, we also tried a supposedly “bad-quality” version to feel the difference.
As we learned, there are many characteristics to good olive oil, such as consistency, smell (which can be grassy or fruity), spiciness, and taste, which can even have apple undertones.
While the prices for the olive oils at Mediterranica are certainly higher than the prices at supermarkets, these products guarantee a superior culinary experience in exchange for the extra forints. In addition, the health effects of high-quality olive oil are not negligible, either.
Mediterranica Store
Address:
Budapest 1077, Wesselényi Street 54
