Also known as olive oil. Looks silly to write an entire post about it? Maybe but I will anyway. Few years ago, during chemistry, my teacher said, that oil is tasteless and doesn't have any smell, but there are so many different kinds of oils and each of them has different types, so how can it be tasteless? Now let's go back to olive oil. Just to be clear, I'm going to write only about the extra virgin one. Why am I writing about it? Let me introduce you.. Naturally packed with monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants, not only can a good extra virgin olive oil lower your risk of heart disease and cancer, research has shown that it also provides a wide range of anti-inflammatory benefits that can positively impact illnesses such as diabetes, hypertension and more. However, it' is not so easy to find a good quality product. Here are some things, that can help you.
First of all, extra virgin olive oil is obtained from the olive only, using mechanical or other physical means, in conditions, particularly thermal conditions, which do not alter the oil in any way. It is basically pure fruit juice. It is important to mention that there are huge differences among extra virgin olive oils in terms of their quality, taste, aroma, colour, health benefits, shelf life, presentation, and of course their price. Extra virgin olive oils can be anything from very delicate and mellow to quite bitter and pungent. Their anti-oxidant content varies considerably.
What kind olive oil is considered to be good? It's important to buy this product in dark glass bottles, because light, oxygen and heat are the biggest enemies of it. What's next, high-quality olive oil is made only from green, unripe fruit, has a nice, fresh, smell, which can remind you of freshly cut grass, nuts, fruits, vegetables like Artichoke or tomato leaves. Also, filtered olive oil is good, but only for a very short period of time. It's good to buy oil with lower acidity - that way it has more polyphenols. Moreover, stronger aroma and pungency shows high quality and high amount of nutrients. So if you start coughing - it's only a good sign. Finally, olive oil has 0% cholesterol and you c a n actually cook on it!
I first tried high-quality extra virgin olive oil about 5 years ago and I fell in love with it. My cousin is very interested in olive oil, she is an olive oil sommelier (yes, there is such a thing!) so I visited two farms with her and attended a lecture. The most amazing experience was when we went to the De Carlo olive oil farm in Italy, Puglia a few years ago, and had an opportunity to witness the whole process of harvesting and milling.
Fun fact, there is also an annually olive oil guide ,,Flos Olei"
