Thomas Jefferson wrote “The olive tree is surely the richest gift of Heaven. I can scarcely expect bread.” Olive oil is an important part of the Mediterranean diet, which benefits cardiovascular health. The least processed type of olive oil, extra virgin, is the purest kind available. However, there are so many alleged “virgin” olive oils, as well as over-processed and highly diluted oils, how can the savvy consumer know which is best? Below is a comprehensive summary of various nuggets of truth regarding this majestic oil.
Price: “If it seems too cheap to be extra virgin, it probably isn’t. Genuine extra virgin olive oil costs more to produce, so it should cost more to buy. If an oil labeled ‘extra virgin’ is, say, $4.99 per liter, there’s a good chance it is ‘virgin’ grade, with some minor flavor faults. It’s okay to use virgin grade olive oil for cooking or for when you don’t need or want olive flavor, but many people prefer extra virgin for salads and other non-cooking uses.”
“Best before” or “harvest date”: “Olive oil is at its best
when it’s fresh during the first year after harvest, but a well-made,
well-conserved extra virgin olive oil should have a two-year shelf life before
opening (so don’t automatically reject oils from a previous harvest). Once
opened, use it within a few months. “Best before” dates are most often two
years from bottling.”
Brands from actual olive oil
producers or Estate Production: “If an olive oil is labeled ‘Estate Production,’ it
should have been milled (the term for processing of olives into olive oil) and
bottled on the farm where the olives were grown. The understanding and
regulation of this term with respect to olive oil is generally based on its use
in the wine industry, but enforcement depends on the region. Extra virgin olive
oil brands that belong to the people who grew the olives and made the oil, or
who worked closely with the farmers and processors to control quality, are more
likely to be of higher quality (and higher price). You can sometimes learn more
about the people behind the brand by visiting the company’s website, but be
skeptical of gimmicky marketing stories.”
Three types of virgin olive oils:
Extra-virgin olive oil: “This is the highest grade of virgin olive oil. Industry
standards stipulate that extra-virgin olive oil must meet numerous chemical
parameters including a free fatty acid content ≤ 0.08%. To earn the
extra-virgin grade, the oil must also meet a sensory (organoleptic) standard.
In a test by a trained taste panel using official protocols, an extra-virgin
olive oil will have no defects of aroma or flavor, and some positive flavor of
green or ripe olives.”
Virgin olive oil: “Confusingly designated as ‘virgin,’ this grade of virgin
olive oil has slight defects of aroma or flavor and meets a lower chemical
standard including higher free fatty acid levels. Virgin olive oil is starting
to appear in the American market as a healthy but less expensive cooking oil.”
Cold-pressed or first cold press olive oil: “This is archaic terminology from
the era of actual olive presses; today almost all olive oil is extracted using
a centrifuge. The terms are also redundant: All genuine extra-virgin olive oil
will be from the first extraction and no excessive heat is used. The terms
still appear on labels because consumers sometimes seek it out, but they are
virtually meaningless except under European Community law, where it does
indicate the use of a traditional press.”
Two Taste Rules: “While those are the
general rules, it is important to consider that not all extra virgin olive oils
are created equal. There are two taste
rules for a virgin olive oil to be considered ‘extra virgin.’ First, extra virgin olive oils must be
pristine in taste with no off-flavors at all.
Second, the oil must have some fruitiness. This means that among extra virgin olive
oils, you will find some with a slight fruitiness, and some that will knock
your socks off. And sometimes it is not
easy to know the difference. Some extra
virgin labels may indicate whether the oil is ‘delicate’ or ‘robust.’ Extra virgin olive oils that identify the
varieties in the bottle may also be helpful: olive oil from arbequina olives,
for instance, will be less flavorful than oil from coratina olives. Another
indication may be price. Extra virgin
olives oils tend to have higher polyphenol content when the olives are
harvested early, before they are fully ripe. Early harvesting yields less oil,
and therefore these flavorful oils will be more expensive to produce.”
Italy, Spain, and Greece - does it
matter?
“There
are a bevy of different terms—‘made in,’ ‘product of,’ ‘imported by,’ ‘packed
in’—that can indicate the origin of a bottle of olive oil. Single-source olive
oils are pressed, packed, and exported from the same country. Olive oils that
are a mix of olives from multiple countries or pressed and packed in different
places will list all of the countries of origin. These don’t necessarily result
in a lower-quality olive oil, but generally speaking the ones packed in a
different country than the olives were harvested in tend to be less fresh than
single-source oils.
“Which
country makes the best olive oil? Italy, Spain, and Greece are probably the
three most well-known, though Croatia and Turkey have also produced some of the
highest rated oils in recent years. In the United States, California churns out
some great olive oils, though states like Texas, Arizona, and Georgia are also
growing suppliers.
“Generally
speaking, pure Spanish olive oil tends to be more ‘fruity,’ while pure Italian
oil leans towards ‘grassy.’ Oils from Greece are more flavorful and peppery.
However, even within these categories, there’s large variation based on the
ripeness of the olives, the types used, and so on. Plus, as noted, lots of
olive oils are combinations from different places. Use these basic profiles as
a starting point, but don’t shy away from trying a selection.”
Storage: “For longer shelf life, olive oil
should be protected from light, air, and heat. The single most important thing
is to store the oil in a cool, dark cabinet. There’s no need to refrigerate it
if you use it within a reasonable time. A year-long study published in the Journal
of the American Oil Chemists’ Society in 2019 found that olive oil in dark
glass bottles retained quality best, compared to olive oil stored in clear
glass or plastic bottles (oxygen can pass through plastic but not glass).
Another good option is olive oil packed in cans. Best of all is bag-in-box
because the bag collapses as you use the oil, preventing oxygen exposure, plus
the box is a perfect barrier to light.”
The Extra Virgin
Alliance (EVA) “is a trade association representing producers of
genuine extra virgin olive oil from around the world. EVA’s approach is
straightforward. Restore trust in the marketplace by providing an assurance to
the buyer through product testing and supply chain education, and provide
consumer assurance through the EVA Mark of Quality and Authenticity.”
California olive oil is produced under a
program of mandatory government sampling and testing to verify it meets strict
quality standards. Under this program:
--A
designated number of olive oil samples are collected by California Department
of Food and Agriculture officials.
--Samples
are sent to accredited third-party laboratories for sensory and chemical
analysis.
--Results
of the third-party analysis are provided back to the producers.
--In
addition to the government sampling program, producers are responsible for
having all of their remaining olive oil lots tested by a private laboratory of
their choosing. The verified grade must be accurately reflected on product
labels for California olive oil.
Meet 20 California Olive Oil Farmers
Further Reading
Is
Olive Oil Really That Special?
https://www.berkeleywellness.com/healthy-eating/food/article/olive-oil-really-special
How
to Choose a Healthy Oil for Cooking
Olive, canola, coconut, or ghee? Here, the pros and cons of today's most
popular fats https://www.consumerreports.org/cooking-oil/choose-a-healthy-oil-for-cooking/
Photo: https://www.freepik.com/premium-vector/extra-virgin-olive-oil-background_1169416.htm
Jerry De Luca is a Christian freelance writer who loves perusing dozens of interesting and informative publications. When he finds any useful info he summarizes it, taking the main points, and creates a (hopefully) helpful blog post.
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