Olive oil

A bottle of olive oil

About olive oil

Cooking with olive oil is like cooking with wine. Never use a wine or olive oil that does not taste good to you. An inferior one will leave an aftertaste. If you do the taste test and compare the "pure" to the "extra-virgin" and the you'll understand the difference.

When cooking with olive oil, save your extra-virgin expensive oils for salads, dressings, and vinaigrettes. You can also drizzle it over slices of crusty bread or onto open-face sandwiches. Use it on a baked potato or add it to mashed potatoes instead of butter. Extra virgin olive oil tastes great on cooked vegetables or brushed onto fish or meat before serving.

When sautéing or frying, use either a combination olive oil (one that is simply a blend of extra virgin and regular olive oil) or a straight olive oil.

Olive oil grading

The several oils extracted from the olive fruit can be classified in descending quality as:

• Extra-virgin olive oil comes from cold pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil.
• Virgin olive oil has an acidity less than 2%, and judged to have a good taste. There can be no refined oil in virgin olive oil.
• Pure olive oil. Oils labeled as Pure olive oil or Olive oil are usually a blend of refined olive oil and one of the above two categories of virgin olive oil.
• olive oil is a blend of virgin oil and refined oil, containing no more than 1.5% acidity. It commonly lacks a strong flavor.
• Olive-pomace oil is a blend of refined pomace olive oil and possibly some virgin oil. It is fit for consumption, but it may not be called olive oil. Olive-pomace oil is rarely found in a grocery store; it is often used for certain kinds of cooking in restaurants.
• Garlic olive oil is oil infused with garlic. Because of the risk of botulism it is not safe to make garlic olive oil at home.

Greek POP olive oil

There are several Greek olives oils which have been awarded POP status. Under the EU agricultural product quality policy, this "covers agricultural products and foodstuffs which are produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognised know-how". These oils include:

• Kalamata

Spanish DOP olive oil

There are several Spanish olives oils which have been awarded DOP ('Denominación de Origen Protegida') status. Under the EU agricultural product quality policy, this "covers agricultural products and foodstuffs which are produced, processed and prepared in a given geographical area using recognised know-how". These oils include:

• Aceite Campo de Montiel
• Aceite de Bajo Aragón
• Antequera
• Priego de Córdoba

Specialist olive oil suppliers

Whilst all supermarkets do sell a range of olive oil, there may be a time when you are looking for something a bit different. Please see our list of suppliers of olive oil.