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

  1. Extra virgin olive oil (maximum acidity of 0.8%)
  2. Virgin olive oil (maximum acidity of 2%)

REFINED OILS: OBTAINED BY CHEMICAL PROCESS

  1. Lampante olive oil (gold refined oil)
  2. Refined olive-pomace oil (with solvent)
  3. Olive oil (mixture of lampante oil and virgin oil)
  4. 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:

  1. Extra virgin
  2. Date of bottling (to be discarded after 1 year opened or not)
  3. Buy from a producer you trust
  4. 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!