I discovered olive oil, appropriately enough, in Italy at the late age of twenty-two. I sat in a small restaurant in Italy and watched with fascination, and I have to admit a bit on uneducated repulsion, as the man at the table next to me broke off chunks of bread and liberally poured olive oil over each one before eating them. The rich color of the oil barely resembled the pallid stuff in my mother’s pantry, but still, I couldn’t imagine why he would want to do that.
But you know the saying, “When in Rome….”, and boy was I in for a pleasant surprise. I’ve been a fan of good olive oil ever since, but even so, confused by all the different kinds I found at the grocery store. The range in labeling and price is broad enough to make you wonder if you are buying the right oil for your needs. So I’ve put together this primer to help make sense of it all.
The International Olive Oil Council has complicated grading, but the retail grades you will find at the store are fairly simple once you know them and should suffice for your home cooking needs.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil comes from the first pressing of the olives. It is the top of the line oil, and the one you want to dip your bread into. There can be no refined oil in extra virgin oil and it contains no more than .8 percent acidity. To the layman, this means it taste really good right out of the bottle.
Virgin Olive Oil also has no refined oil in it and has an acidity of less than 2 percent. It tastes good uncooked and is good for most uses, for instance on salads, vegetables and in marinades.
Olive Oil is a blend of virgin olive oil and refined virgin oil, containing at most 1 percent acidity. It is a mild oil without a strong flavor. It’s good in blended sauces and for a sauté when you don’t want a strong olive oil flavor.
Olive-pomace oil is not typically found in the grocery story, but it is fit for consumption. It is often used for certain kinds of cooking in restaurants.
There are other olive oil grades which are not used for consumption.
Don’t be fooled by manufacturer’s fancy wording. Here are a few things to watch for:
“Lite” olive oil is not lower in calories. It is just lighter in color and flavor. It is good for frying and baking when you don’t want an olive oil flavor.
“Imported from Italy.” Sounds good, but it doesn’t mean anything except it was bottled in Italy. In fact, Spain produces half of the world’s olives, and many other countries contribute. Your “Imported from Italy” oil might have olives from several countries in it.
“100 percent Pure Olive Oil” might sound like the best there is, but notice lack of the word Virgin. Any virgin or extra virgin oil is a higher grade.
Bottom line: If you are eating your olive oil straight out of the bottle on bread or salad and want the best possible flavor, choose extra virgin. For everyday use, virgin is a good all-around oil. Regular olive oil is great for sauces, baking and frying when you want the taste blended or muted.