My bogus product and silly menu item detectors went ‘Boinnng!’ simultaneously when I read the Starbuck’s news release about its latest idea: A spoonful of olive oil helps the coffee go down. But it’s backed by historical and medical rationales…
Apparently, they’ve been taking Olive Oil with their morning coffee in some parts of Italy for generations.
During a vacation in Italy some years ago, Starbuck’s CEO Howard Schultz relates, “I was captivated by the sense of community, connection, and passion for coffee I found in the city’s espresso bars. It was that trip that inspired me to bring the ritual of handcrafted espresso to Starbucks and to America. Oleato represents the next revolution in coffee that brings together an alchemy of nature’s finest ingredients – Starbucks arabica coffee beans and Partanna cold pressed extra virgin olive oil.”
I checked it out. It’s a real deal.
Why olive oil?
“When creating the beverages, we were inspired by the rich history and origin stories of coffee and olive oil – two of nature’s most transcendent ingredients,” said Amy Dilger, principal beverage developer for Starbucks. “Infusing Starbucks coffee with olive oil yielded a velvety smooth, rich texture, with the buttery, round flavors imparted by the olive oil perfectly pairing with the soft, chocolatey notes of the coffee.”
But what does it taste like? And how much do you add? And is there any specific type of coffee you should use to get max enjoyment from the olive oil treatment? The news release wasn’t specific.
The medical rationale
So… The cultural rationale for pairing olive oil with coffee is pretty well covered. But the promised medical reasons?
Dr. Steven Gundry, a physician, medical researcher and author who advocates for daily olive oil consumption, considers Starbuck’s new Oleato Coffee menu a win-win.
“It’s just a brilliant idea combining two of the best polyphenol-containing compounds on earth together,” he says, explaining polyphenols are plant compounds that offer health-boosting benefits for your heart, brain and longevity.
An intriguing story in heart.org related how adding two or more teaspoons of olive oil to your diet every day could lower your risk of premature death from a number of major causes.
Doesn’t really matter how you order it…
Starbucks has added an Oleato column to its beverages menu listing Extra-Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)-infused Lattées, Espressos, Cold Brew and other variations. Olive Oil can also be added as a ‘shot’ to any Starbuck’s beverage you care to try it in.
“Whether you enjoy Oleato hot or cold, you get this really luxurious, textural experience,” Dilger explains. In fact, it appears that you don’t even have to order your oil in your coffee – just take it adjacent to your coffee for the full polyphenol hit.
My take
Okay. I’ll try it. Once anyway, to check out the ‘Oleato Experience’. But I’m not sure I could justify doing it every day, based on what EVOO costs. It was always expensive compared to regular, common-and-garden olive oil. And over the past couple of years, vegetable oils have become the single most cost-boosted food groups on the planet. Why compound the price hit? Especially if it turns out I don’t like it?
I also wonder if now – in the middle of the most serous supply and price crisis most of us have seen in our lifetimes – is the best time to launch a new luxury product line. But we all know that the supermarkets and various luxury food item purveyors are among the select group of food retailers who have consistently reported increased profits during the COVID and post-COVID eras… And how much does a luxury addition to already-premium coffee mean to folks making annual salaries unimaginable to the other 99 percent of us, anyway?
Oops. There goes my economic inequality rant machine, again. It’s got a pretty sensitive trigger these days…
~ Maggie J.