We’ve been selling oil from Majid Mahjoub—our source for couscous, harissa, and a slew of outstanding foods from Tunisia—for a few years now. But brand new to our shelves is Onsa’s extra virgin olive oil, named for Majid’s wife Onsa.
It’s made from unique-to-Tunisia chetoui olives. In a small section of Majid’s organic orchard, the olives are allowed to remain on the tree a bit longer before harvesting. Harvesting the olives when they’re more mature lends a softer, sweeter quality to the oil, though it’s still got a healthy, bitter, peppery kick.
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The latest harvest, picked and pressed at the very end of the season in January 2019, has an aroma that reminds me of an herb garden: earthy, with hints of parsley or rosemary. The flavor is earthy as well, with a gentle grassy bitterness. The mouthfeel is quite light, and the finish brings a healthy kick of pepper.