When it comes to Olive Oil it can sometimes get confusing. When confronted with the choice between Virgin, Extra-Virgin and Refined Oil, we may find ourselves asking, Is there even that much difference? The answer is yes, and here is why.
What does Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Mean?
After its production, every Olive Oil is graded using the International Olive Oil Council standards, a system that has been respected for over 50 years. The grading of oils is based on their level of acidity, and when an oil has an acidity of less than 0.8 it can be graded as Extra-Virgin.
What makes olives oil extra virgin?
EVOO is made through a process known as cold pressing, where, as the name suggests, the Oil is extracted through simply pressing the olives and requires no extra heat, chemicals, or additives to refine the Oil, unlike the Refined Olive Oil. The elimination of heat means that the oil retains all its natural nutrients, such as polyphenols and antioxidants, making it one of the healthier oils out there.
Extra Virgin Olive oil Smoke point
There were many myths about the dangers of cooking with EVOO, for a while many thought when you cooked EVOO at a high temperature it would release harmful polar compounds, however Acta Scientific Nutritional Health has researched all these claims to be false. A good quality EVOO is one of the more stable and safe oils to cook with and has a smoke point of around 410° F. PHD professor Selina Wang deducted that the higher an oils smoke point the higher the quality of the oil, one of her research projects concluded EVOO to be the most stable oil when heated and released the least amounts of polar compounds.
Can you fry with extra virgin olive oil?
To put It simply, yes of course you can. Frying with EVOO has been a part of Mediterranean culture for centuries, and all evidence has proved it to be one of the safest oils to use. Not to mention it’s also the tastiest oil out there, so there are only benefits to cooking and frying with EVOO.
Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil good for you?
The cold-pressing process is what makes EVOO the highest grade of Oil, as the lack of heat allows the Oil to retain all its beneficial compounds such as its polyphenols and antioxidants.
> Read more about the health benefits of EVOO
Extra Virgin Olive Oil vs Olive Oil : What are the differences?
Both Virgin and Extra-Virgin Olive Oil come from the same extraction method, cold pressing, so what is it that separates them? It is all down to the level of acidity, for whilst EVOO has a maximum acidity value of 0.8, Virgin Oil almost goes up to double that with an acidity that can be no more than 2.0. So, whilst Virgin Olive Oil will still similarly retain a high level of antioxidants and polyphenols, it differs due to the fact it may have a few defects, such as its taste, unlike the EVOO.
What Do We Mean by Acidity of Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
The acidity of an Oil comes from a wide range of factors, mostly to do with the actual Olives themselves. There are several contributing natural factors such as, the variety of Olive or the different weather conditions they are exposed to etc. However, one of the more defining features is the olives natural breakdown process after having been picked, and how it reacts to the oxidisation process. Although acidity has little to no correlation to the overall taste, it does have a correlation to quality, the lower the acidity the higher the quality of Olive Oil.
|
TYPE OF OIL |
LEVEL OF ACIDITY |
QUALITY |
|
Extra Virgin Olive Oil |
≤ 0.8 |
Excellent |
|
Virgin Olive Oil |
> 0.8 & ≤ 2.0 |
Good |
|
Lampante Olive Oil |
>2.0 |
Poor |
What Makes Extra Virgin Olive Oil Price More Expensive?
When looking at the various price points of different oils one can observe that EVOO usually comes out as the most expensive, and that’s because you are paying for a quality item. The price of EVOO factors into the entire cost of its production journey, from the beginnings of the olive tree itself to the extraction of the oil. EVOO requires a different level of skill and care than any other Oil, the trees in the orchard must be kept healthy at all times of the year, including being protected from any pests; the harvests must be organised at the olives prime time of ripeness; the transport of olives must be instant to avoid the olives fermenting or any other type of damage; the list goes on. There is a degree of care and knowledge that goes into the production of EVOO that cannot be compared to the other oils. That’s why it is better to use our olive oil instead of vegetable oils. Suffice to say that when you are buying an EVOO, you are buying a product that has been made through a passion and dedication to producing the highest possible quality of Olive Oil.
What is the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
Here at Oliviers&Co we know that when you buy an EVOO oil you expect the highest quality, and that is something we can guarantee all our customers. Over our 25 years we have formed close relationships with, what we can only call, masters of Olive Oil production around the Mediterranean. We also believe that our customers deserve complete transparency about where and how our Oils are made, and you can read about our step-by-step olive oil production that takes you straight from the groves to the bottled oil itself. Our Extra Virgin Olive Oils are both the highest in quality and finest in taste, but don’t just take our word for it, try one yourself and you’ll understand!
Shop our range of Extra Virgin Olive Oils here >
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