Further south still, in Sicily and Puglia, the oils have a character of their own: Savelli says that the flavour of Sicilian oil “is enhanced by its hilly, intensively cultivated terrain: expect to taste hints of artichokes and other local produce. And for a heavier, meat-based dish, I’d choose an oil from Puglia. “In general, though – and I might be biased – I tend to opt for oil that is lighter in taste, with subtle earthy hints that remind me of Liguria, where I’m from.”

Outside of Italy, “there are great oils from Spain and Portugal,” says Angela Hartnett, chef/proprietor of the Michelin-starred Murano in Mayfair, “and I love Provençal oil from the South of France.” Savelli, meanwhile, says: “It’s no secret that Greece produces some cracking single-estate oils. And across the Adriatic from Italy, Croatia is definitely one to watch – it doesn’t produce anywhere near as much as Spain or Italy, but its oils are quietly picking up award after award.” There are high-quality olive oils produced in the southern hemisphere, too, like the fruity, complex Morgenster olive oil from Stellenbosch, South Africa.

Even between producers in the same region, the characteristics of oils can vary, with a number of factors involved. These include the olive varietals (like grapes, different cultivars of olive have distinct characteristics), the altitude at which they are grown, and when they are picked: generally, the earlier olives are picked, the more grassy and peppery their oil will be, especially when the oil is young.

The only meaningful descriptor is ‘extra-virgin olive oil’, which means that the amount of free acidity in the oil is less than 0.8 per cent. (When heat or solvents are later used to extract oil of inferior quality, the level of acidity is much higher.)

Wherever your oil comes from, both Hartnett and Savelli agree the most important thing is to store it well. “I don’t like it when I go to a restaurant and see good-quality olive oil left in a clear glass bottle on the table,” says Savelli. “It might look pretty, but being around heat and light is the worst thing for olive oil.” He advises using a stainless-steel decanter. And Hartnett advises buying oil in small quantities rather than massive bottles, adding, “keep it in a cool, dark place, and remember that olive oil is essentially a fruit juice: treat it that way, and you won’t go far wrong.”