It’s all about the Kocbek taste

Our guiding principles for entering into new ventures is finding the highest value product and ensuring that the people behind the product share the same principles, ethos,  and passion as we do.  In this blog we focus on the taste of Kocbek pumpkin seed oil.

It is not luck that Kocbek oil is sought after by top chefs and restaurants around the world. It is difficult for people who may never have tasted pumpkin seed oil before to comprehend the differences in taste. The way we tell a good wine from a bad wine is by tasting and comparing. This is the reason that the Kocbek mill have a tasting room, in order to showcase their oils.

We can all associate with the difference in the drive of a Mercedes sedan and and say a bakkie.  The difference in taste of the different pumpkin seed brands is about the same comparison.  We could easily have chosen a cheap blended pumpkin seed oil for the South African market but that would have been a grave injustice to the many first time users of pumpkin seed oil.

The taste of pumpkin seed oil is influenced by two main factors.  Firstly, the taste of oil varies significantly depending on where the pumpkins are grown. An Australian couple that became addicted to Kocbek tried to make their own oil in Australia. They could not achieve near the same taste so they brought seeds in from Slovenia and planted them in Australia. Still they could not reach the Kocbek taste. Sorry Aussies.

The 2nd major influence on taste is the processing methods. Kocbek still apply the traditional mill methods. I experienced first hand the taste difference in oils processed through the original stone mill to that processed through a mechanical mill. The same seeds with completely different taste and color of the oil.

Many recipes now include pumpkin seed oil. Follow some pictures on our Instagram. We will be adding recipes on our website or check out the Kocbek website. Top chefs choose the best ingredients to enhance the flavors of their dishes so it is not surprising that more and more top restaurants are choosing Kocbek. Caps of the bottles prevent refilling; a measure taken because some restaurants were using Kocbek bottles filled with cheaper blended oils.

How will we showcase taste to someone who has never tasted Kocbek pumpkin seed oil.  With vanilla ice-cream. Game, set and match – you addicted.