Rich, beautiful, and fragrant, olive oil is much like wine — taste is a matter of personal preference. There are many variables that go into the production of olive oil can yield dramatic differences in colour, aroma, and flavour. Those factors are:
- Variety of olive used
- Location and soil conditions where the olives were grown
- Environmental factors and weather during the growing season
- Olive ripeness
- Timing of the harvest
- Harvesting method
- Length of time between the harvest and pressing
- Pressing technique
- Packaging and storage method
But one may ask, what are the resulting types one could expect to see in Oleev and how do I choose what is good for me?
Well, you should choose the type of olive you would like to use based on your type of cooking and the health benefit you want from it.
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
The extra-virgin olive oil type is certainly the best type among all. It is extracted by cold-pressing method to prevent the natural content from being altered by exposures to high temperature. This oil even has lower acidity content compared to its standard virgin counterpart. It is considered the best simply because it retains most of the natural flavour and aroma. This is as well the most commonly used type of olive oil for health purposes. You can even consume or drink extra virgin olive oil directly without any other ingredient mixed with it because the health benefits of olive oil are extensive.
Virgin-Olive Oil
The virgin type of olive oil is an unrefined form. It is extracted by cold-pressing method, and it brings more natural aroma and flavours compared to the aforementioned types above. It contains slightly high acidity content between 1 to 4 percent. This specific type of olive oil is temperature resistant as well. Compared to the extra virgin type, this one has milder taste. This is suitable for low-heat cooking purposes.
Refined Olive Oil
This type of olive oil is extracted from black and ripe olive fruits. Among other types, it has the least amount of virgin olive oil which is known for its great benefits in preventing colon cancer. The ‘lite’ type is sometimes marketed as better than the regular oil used in Indian kitchens as this type is solely good for cooking purposes, especially one that involves high temperature. It still contains the same fat and calories as other types.
Pure Olive Oil
Although the name clearly suggests that it is pure, this type of oil is not truly pure. In fact, it is a blend extra virgin or virgin type olive oil with a refined form of olive oil. It is a type of refined oil which has to be mixed with a better quality one, either extra virgin or virgin type of olive oil. The added oil will adds in a higher amount of vitamin E and better flavour.
Olive Pomace Oil
The pomace type is extracted from the residue that remains after the fruit is pressed. After the actual fruits are pressed, they leave residue containing oil and water. Once the water and oil are removed, the residue still contains certain amount of oil and can be extracted. Since it is extracted merely from residue, virgin oil is mixed to help to improve the quality. It is the most accessible type in the market and suitable only for high-heat cooking.
