? For The Chef's & Cooks; Olive Oil:

[ZlurkCorzDog]

I recall reading some year's back that not all Olive oils are created equal. Fair enough. So recently I did a search & found a lot of conflicting information. Some of it is do to as I understand, deception & trickery in marketing. 100% virgin? Many claim it but I see where some are blends. Cold pressed? It is said to be a good thing.

Is there anyway to determine is getting the best, highest quality, real deal product? Thanks.

 

[Bongo]

most important is country of origin. Not all olive oil sold in from all countries is actually 100% olive oil.
As long as you have 100% olive oil it's just a matter of taste.

 

[GuitarGeni]

I personally don't worry about all that. I go by taste. The best I've tried so far is Partanna Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 34-Ounce, currently $20.71 on Amazon.

 

[Justin226]

I personally don't worry about all that. I go by taste. The best I've tried so far is Partanna Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 34-Ounce, currently $20.71 on Amazon.

Yea, I generally can’t be bothered with this sort of fussing about olive oil origin. Beer, yes, olive oil no.

I cook...a lot. I suppose I would prefer to use great olive oil but it would be super expensive. I also find myself using it a lot less than I used to, as it is not a high-heat oil. Grapeseed and many other oils work better for most meals. My suggestion would be to find a decently priced one to use for cooking and save the expensive stuff for when you are drizzling.

 

[Justin226]

Yea, I generally can’t be bothered with this sort of fussing about olive oil origin. Beer, yes, olive oil no.

I cook...a lot. I suppose I would prefer to use great olive oil but it would be super expensive. I also find myself using it a lot less than I used to, as it is not a high-heat oil. Grapeseed and many other oils work better for most meals. My suggestion would be to find a decently priced one to use for cooking and save the expensive stuff for when you are drizzling.

Want to be clear that I’m not knocking being fussy, btw. There’s plenty of things I’m fussy over.

 

[33db]

I recall reading some year's back that not all Olive oils are created equal. Fair enough. So recently I did a search & found a lot of conflicting information. Some of it is do to as I understand, deception & trickery in marketing. 100% virgin? Many claim it but I see where some are blends. Cold pressed? It is said to be a good thing.

Is there anyway to determine is getting the best, highest quality, real deal product? Thanks.

The real deal is vastly different from the "blends" (mixes of various oils some not olive) the real give away, for Olive oil I like, is it has a bite like pepper and polyphenols in quantity, and the smell... I can eat nothing but ciabatta and olive oil it's that good.

Any hoo check out Bariani, most of the oils at the super market are blends.
https://www.barianioliveoil.com/product/extra-virgin-olive-oil

 

[amstratnut]

Well live near the olive center of USA and usually have access to good California oil. I rarely buy imported anymore.

 

[Lonn]

I don't know what she uses but my wife has 5-6 different brands on hand. Same goes for honey. I counted 6 different honeys in the pantry earlier today. None of it the cheap stuff either, she's an expensive honey aficionado.

 

[myredstrat]

looks pretty high heat to me

 

[StratoMutt]

Well live near the olive center of USA and usually have access to good California oil. I rarely buy imported anymore.

I EVOO!

California produces excellent EVOO. Several years ago I bought some snooty high end oil from California.

These are global blends that California Olive Ranch certifies are 100% EVVO: https://californiaoliveranch.com/collections-all/global/?collection

Having had a few pricey "boutique" oils, this affordable series comes pretty close in complexity and flavor. Mild, medium (everyday) and bold pretty much covers it all. I keep a mild and bold on hand.

Cork(cap)sniffery abounds: https://bestoliveoils.org/search

 

[Boubou]

Never saw an olive oil bottle that said “non virgin” on the label

 

[StratoMutt]

Never saw an olive oil bottle that said “non virgin” on the label

As I understand the standard, extra virgin means the ripe olives are processed within 24 hours of harvest, then the first cold press. Freshness matters.

There is nothing wrong with EVOO blends. Blending is done to arrive at a given flavor profile that a single olive variety cannot achieve.

I have also had snooty EVVO from Italy. That was the start of my EVOO journey. A quality Italian deli not too for from me had several available for tasting with free bread dips one day. That put the hook in me well over 10 years ago.

Sadly, the deli did not stand the test of time. Wrong location for the higher end clientele expected. They supposedly trucked in several breads from Brooklyn daily. That is pricey. They had a bread made with semolina that was out of the world.

There is nothing wrong with just plain olive oil. They are simply not made from the first cold pressing. Some are chemically processed to squeeze out the last bit of oil - not as desirable.

Plain olive oil is fine for cooking, baking and secondary uses. It does not have the myriad of subtle flavors EVOO has. In comparison it is rather bland.

 

[Bongo]

y'all best care where yer olive oil comes from. There are countries selling EVOO and suchlike what's got some nasty stuff in it.
Blends of olive oil and other vegetable oils are fine, it's just a taste thing at that point. But when you get antifreeze in with it that's a whole nother story.


FWIW, us US citizens got it good, California olive oils are fantastic. And well regulated and inspected.

 

[StummerJoe]

I recall reading some year's back that not all Olive oils are created equal. Fair enough. So recently I did a search & found a lot of conflicting information. Some of it is do to as I understand, deception & trickery in marketing. 100% virgin? Many claim it but I see where some are blends. Cold pressed? It is said to be a good thing.

Is there anyway to determine is getting the best, highest quality, real deal product? Thanks.

Seriously...there's a deep rabbit hole you can get into with this. What type of olive...what region was it grown...when was it harvested...how soon was it pressed...etc...

It get's to be like micro brews after a while...or dare I say like TONE

For most applications what you get at the store is fine, but try for EVOO.

 

[StummerJoe]

View attachment 472256 looks pretty high heat to me

Reminds me of the old crank call....

You have Olive Oil in a bottle? Better let her out before PopEye gets mad! WACKA WACKA WACKA

 

[StratoMutt]

Seriously...there's a deep rabbit hole you can get into with this. What type of olive...what region was it grown...when was it harvested...how soon was it pressed...etc...

It get's to be like micro brews after a while...or dare I say like TONE
More akin to fine blended whiskey than tone.

For most applications what you get at the store is fine, but try for EVOO.

EVOO is best for applications you want the oil flavor to be a part of the flavor of the dish being served. It is often a seasoning / spice of its own.

California oils require stringent standards for claims of EVOO. It gets more complicated with oils from the EU or South America - both excellent world class producers.

I've spent some time tonight upgrading my knowledge on the subject. Sadly, it has become even less definitive than several years ago when EU producers were called out out for lying about EVVO.

Buy Californian.

 

[StummerJoe]

EVOO is best for applications you want the oil flavor to be a part of the flavor of the dish being served. It is often a seasoning / spice of its own.

California oils require stringent standards for claims of EVOO. It gets more complicated with oils from the EU or South America - both excellent world class producers.

I've spent some time tonight upgrading my knowledge on the subject. Sadly, it has become even less definitive than several years ago when EU producers were called out out for lying about EVVO.

Buy Californian.

I'd like to say where my favorite comes from but it could be construed as political.

 

[StratoMutt]

I'd like to say where my favorite comes from but it could be construed as political.

Oh, no. Where are you referring to?

Enquiring palates want to know!

 

[longboard blues]

We have some amazing EVOO here in Victoria - but I still love the taste of a high end spanish one.

 

[StummerJoe]

Oh, no. Where are you referring to?

Enquiring palates want to know!

I pm'd you.