I was hoping you could all educate me. I remember living in Turkey and travelling around the Mediterranean in general and a lot of the Olive Oil was sharper or you might call it bitter, and I know it was fresh. I loved the taste. In the US where I'm from, all the store bought olive oil that I've purchased is smooth and doesn't have any special kick to it. Why is that?
I assume it's for one of three reasons
I am not always the cheapest but I won't go all out and spend the most on something usually, and I wouldn't know what bottles to choose anyway.
The manufacturers know or think they know their market, and they think, probably correctly, that American's wouldn't go for that.
The process of storing and transporting it either reduces the sharpness or requires they refine it in a way that reduces it.
I'm interested in EVOO of course. I assume the stuff in the Mediterranean I ate was Extra Virgin but if it wasn't, that's fine too. I know it was fresh.
Am I correct with my reasons above, and more importantly where can I find sharp strong olive oil like I remember (including on Amazon)?