Olive Oil 101
In order to help you overcome the total confusion that ensues as you stand in front of the olive oil section of your grocery store, here are a few important facts to remember in order to pick out the best ones for you :
6 categories of oil
VIRGIN OILS: THE BEST
- Extra virgin olive oil (maximum acidity of 0.8%)
- Virgin olive oil (maximum acidity of 2%)
REFINED OILS: OBTAINED BY CHEMICAL PROCESS
- Lampante olive oil (gold refined oil)
- Refined olive-pomace oil (with solvent)
- Olive oil (mixture of lampante oil and virgin oil)
- Olive-pomace oil (with solvent)
The 3 attributes of a good olive oil
If you wanted to become a sommelier in olive oil, here are the attributes you should look for:
- Fruity taste
- Bitterness
- Pungent flavour
In search of a superior oil, here’s what you should look for:
- Extra virgin
- Date of bottling (to be discarded after 1 year opened or not)
- Buy from a producer you trust
- Bottled in a dark container
Olive oil has been praised for its cosmetic virtues for thousands of years and its nutritional claims are equally impressive. Studies show that diets rich in mono-unsaturated fats decrease bad cholesterol and significantly decreases blood pressure.
Unlike wine, olive oil does not get finer with age and fast consumption without moderation is in good taste!
