SSS

Most of the descriptions that go before olive oil, such as “virgin” or “extra virgin,” refer to the process that manufacturers use to produce the oil. Extra virgin olive oil undergoes the least amount of processing. Our olives are squeezed within hours of harvest to preserve maximum flavor and nutritional value.

Extra virgin olive oil has more polyphenols than other types of olive oil. Polyphenols are a family of micronutrients that are found in plants; they have high antioxidant characteristics when consumed. Refined olive oil is stripped of its vitamins, polyphenols, and other important nutrients.

Extra virgin olive oil has a more vibrant and fresh taste than olive oils that have undergone more processing. A good EVOO should have the smell of fresh cut grass or any other herbs that are specific to the olive, a fruity taste with a bitterness to it and must finish with a good amount of burning in the throat. If the oil doesn’t have a particular smell, tastes flavorless, or musty, this may be due to overprocessing, or the oil might have gone bad. Not burning your throat? This might be due to a low polyphenol content that was lost during processing or harvest.

Just like wine it’s important to know the general categories that an EVOO falls into. A light olive oil is delicate, silky, has a floral taste and a very light peppery finish to it. Medium olive oil starts to get a little bit bitter and pungent compared to light olive oil. Mediums are not overpowering, and you can still get a balanced flavor profile with fruity, floral notes as well as a nice peppery finish. Robust olive oil has intense herbal and bitter notes with a strong peppery finish. You can think of it as the hot mustard of the olive oil world.

Yes! Not only can you fry with olive oil, but it’s also actually healthier to do so. Frying temperatures does not change the properties of olive oil. This is an unfortunate misconception that has people avoiding using olive oil in their daily cooking. Frying and sauteing with EVOO is a much healthier alternative to using saturated and trans fats.

You may notice that an unfiltered olive oil is cloudy. This is normal! Unfiltered olive oil still contains residual pieces of olive that is normally filtered out from the oil. Although EVOO and Unfiltered EVOO are nutritionally the same, some find unfiltered extra virgin olive oil to have a fruitier taste due to the olive residues.

Most agree that extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest fat on earth. Nutrition, taste, and quality of the extra virgin olive oil make it superior to any other type of oil. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in healthy monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and has anti-inflammatory properties. Extra virgin olive oil is not a refined or processed oil; our olives are cold pressed within hours of harvest and presented to the consumer without undergoing any chemical processing. Other vegetable oils are processed foods that are extracted by means of petroleum-based solvents. Olive oil adds flavor and dimension to dishes unlike any other fat. This is because the olive itself has distinct tasting notes and the fresh extraction of fresh olives makes it possible to protect the taste.

It is difficult for consumers to find genuine extra virgin olive oil due to rampant malpractices that happen in the industry. Big producers use artificially colored cheap blends to cut the oil with less expensive and processed oil such as soybean, peanut, or sunflower. Overripe olives are accumulated in the mills to be processed days after harvest to increase yield while sacrificing the quality and the freshness of the oil. This is why it’s important to research and buy extra virgin olive oil from small producers who care about the quality of their products.