Extra Virgin, Virgin, Pomace, Light, Filtered, Unfiltered, Premium, Cold Pressed, Organic, and the list goes on and on. If you are confused about which Olive Oil to buy, then this article is for you.
There are a few keys to identifying good quality; the first is to know what Olive Oil is. Then it’s important to know the different grades of Olive Oil and how to differentiate them. Learning about their characteristics will help you make sense of what you read on labels.
Are you buying oil to drizzle on a piece of roasted country bread, to use on your skin, to make soap, or to burn in an oil lamp? Different uses may require different oils. The question is: What is Olive Oil and what differentiates them? Here is an attempt to point you in the right direction.
WHAT IS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the highest Grade of Classification of Olive Oil. To obtain this grade there are two main conditions, the process and the quality certification.
The process: Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the juice of the Olive (the fruit of Olea europaea; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree of the Mediterranean Basin. This means the olives have been picked, washed, grinded and pressed mechanically to extract the oil.
The quality: In order for an Olive Oil to receive the highest grade of “Extra Virgin” it must also be “perfect and free of defects” for which it must be certified as such by both an official chemical test in a laboratory and a sensory evaluation by a trained tasting panel recognized by the International Olive Council.
Since Extra Virgin Olive Oil is simply pressed fruit juice without additives, many of the factors influencing its quality and taste comprehend the countless decisions, ethics and skills of the producer, and the “terroir” itself.
Therefore let’s first learn how to recognize all Olive Oil grades and uses:
VIRGIN OLIVE OIL GRADES
In countries that adhere to the standards of the International Olive Council (IOC) the labels must state the Olive Oil grade and it’s important that you know them.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) must comply with both process and quality procedures and obtain from both an official chemical test in a laboratory and a sensory evaluation a note of “perfect and free of defects”. Its maximum permitted acidity is 0,8%. This superior grade has the richest flavor and aromas as well as the highest health benefits.
Virgin Olive Oil is an oil that has complied with the same process of the “Extra Virgin” but who’s quality was not found to be “perfect and free of defects” and/or its acidity is higher than 0,8% but without exceeding 1,5%. This grade still maintains good flavor and some aroma as well as beneficial health characteristics.
Other Olive Oil NON VIRGIN Grades
Pure Olive Oil: Oils labeled as Pure olive oil or Olive oil are usually a blend of refined and virgin production oil. This grade still has no exceptional flavor, no exceptional aroma, and no naturally beneficial health characteristics.
Olive Oil: is a blend of virgin and refined production oil, of no more than 2% acidity. This grade still has no exceptional flavor, no exceptional aroma, and no naturally beneficial health characteristics.
Pomace Olive Oil: is obtained from the Pomace which is the paste that is the left over from the grinding of the virgin Olive Oils. It still contains a small quantity (about 5-10%) of oil that cannot be extracted by further pressing, but only with chemical solvents (in specialized chemical plants, not in oil mills) mostly hexane <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexane>, and by heat. This grade still has no natural flavor, no natural aroma, and no naturally beneficial health characteristics.
Refined Olive Oil as the name indicates is refined (a chemical treatment done in specialized chemical plants, not in oil mills, under which a non-fit for human consumption product is transformed so that intoxication or death does not occur when consuming it) This is obtained by refining virgin olive oils with a high acidity level and/or organoleptic defects that are eliminated after refining. Note that no solvents have been used to extract the oil, but it has been refined with the use of charcoal and other chemical and physical filters. This grade still has no natural flavor, no natural aroma, and no naturally beneficial health characteristics.
Lampante Oil is not suitable as food; comes from olive oil's long-standing use in oil-burning lamp sand mostly used in the industrial market.
CONCLUSIONS
Finally, as I am often asked to sum up the meaning of Extra Virgin Olive Oil,I often say that
Extra Virgin = High Quality Olive Juice + Good Taste.
There are a few keys to identifying good quality; the first is to know what Olive Oil is. Then it’s important to know the different grades of Olive Oil and how to differentiate them. Learning about their characteristics will help you make sense of what you read on labels.
Are you buying oil to drizzle on a piece of roasted country bread, to use on your skin, to make soap, or to burn in an oil lamp? Different uses may require different oils. The question is: What is Olive Oil and what differentiates them? Here is an attempt to point you in the right direction.
WHAT IS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the highest Grade of Classification of Olive Oil. To obtain this grade there are two main conditions, the process and the quality certification.
The process: Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the juice of the Olive (the fruit of Olea europaea; family Oleaceae), a traditional tree of the Mediterranean Basin. This means the olives have been picked, washed, grinded and pressed mechanically to extract the oil.
The quality: In order for an Olive Oil to receive the highest grade of “Extra Virgin” it must also be “perfect and free of defects” for which it must be certified as such by both an official chemical test in a laboratory and a sensory evaluation by a trained tasting panel recognized by the International Olive Council.
Since Extra Virgin Olive Oil is simply pressed fruit juice without additives, many of the factors influencing its quality and taste comprehend the countless decisions, ethics and skills of the producer, and the “terroir” itself.
Therefore let’s first learn how to recognize all Olive Oil grades and uses:
VIRGIN OLIVE OIL GRADES
In countries that adhere to the standards of the International Olive Council (IOC) the labels must state the Olive Oil grade and it’s important that you know them.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) must comply with both process and quality procedures and obtain from both an official chemical test in a laboratory and a sensory evaluation a note of “perfect and free of defects”. Its maximum permitted acidity is 0,8%. This superior grade has the richest flavor and aromas as well as the highest health benefits.
Virgin Olive Oil is an oil that has complied with the same process of the “Extra Virgin” but who’s quality was not found to be “perfect and free of defects” and/or its acidity is higher than 0,8% but without exceeding 1,5%. This grade still maintains good flavor and some aroma as well as beneficial health characteristics.
Other Olive Oil NON VIRGIN Grades
Pure Olive Oil: Oils labeled as Pure olive oil or Olive oil are usually a blend of refined and virgin production oil. This grade still has no exceptional flavor, no exceptional aroma, and no naturally beneficial health characteristics.
Olive Oil: is a blend of virgin and refined production oil, of no more than 2% acidity. This grade still has no exceptional flavor, no exceptional aroma, and no naturally beneficial health characteristics.
Pomace Olive Oil: is obtained from the Pomace which is the paste that is the left over from the grinding of the virgin Olive Oils. It still contains a small quantity (about 5-10%) of oil that cannot be extracted by further pressing, but only with chemical solvents (in specialized chemical plants, not in oil mills) mostly hexane <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexane>, and by heat. This grade still has no natural flavor, no natural aroma, and no naturally beneficial health characteristics.
Refined Olive Oil as the name indicates is refined (a chemical treatment done in specialized chemical plants, not in oil mills, under which a non-fit for human consumption product is transformed so that intoxication or death does not occur when consuming it) This is obtained by refining virgin olive oils with a high acidity level and/or organoleptic defects that are eliminated after refining. Note that no solvents have been used to extract the oil, but it has been refined with the use of charcoal and other chemical and physical filters. This grade still has no natural flavor, no natural aroma, and no naturally beneficial health characteristics.
Lampante Oil is not suitable as food; comes from olive oil's long-standing use in oil-burning lamp sand mostly used in the industrial market.
CONCLUSIONS
Finally, as I am often asked to sum up the meaning of Extra Virgin Olive Oil,I often say that
Extra Virgin = High Quality Olive Juice + Good Taste.
ALL OLIVE OILS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL (Part I)
Website > Newsletter > Not all Olive Oils are created equal (Part 1)
