Choosing the Right Olive Oil
Good olive oil is enjoyed just like a good wine: each variety, each blend, and each harvest reveals a different flavor profile. But you still need to know which one to choose from the shelves at specialty food stores and supermarkets.
A good olive oil is savored just like a good wine: each variety, each blend, and each harvest reveals a different flavor profile. But you still need to know which one to choose and how to sort through the shelves at specialty food stores and supermarkets, where it’s sometimes all too easy to fall for the marketing hype surrounding the Mediterranean diet.
The Labels
These are strictly regulated by the International Olive Council (IOC). Extra virgin olive oil is a guarantee of superior-quality olive oil, extracted using mechanical processes (without solvents or refining) from the first cold press. In short, it is pure fruit juice, where the acidity level must not exceed 0.8% under any circumstances. Virgin olive oil is extra virgin olive oil with slight organoleptic defects that result in its downgrading. The defects in lampante olive oil are such that it is unfit for consumption: it must be refined and blended with virgin olive oil before it can be consumed. On supermarket shelves, consumers should be wary, as cheaper olive oil/canola oil blends are sometimes placed among the olive oils, causing some confusion.
