Regular olive oil vs. extra virgin olive oil?

            There are actually four types of olive oil you need to know in food and cooking. Extra virgin olive oil is typically produced from the first pressing of olives—making it the most pure and least acidic (less than .8 percent), and the best tasting. Because EVOO is expensive, heavier and more flavorful than other types of olive oil, it’s best used as an accent to dishes (drizzled over bruschetta, or this Minty qunioa tabouleh ), or in dressings and vinaigrettes, like this Tomato-Basil Vinaigrette. Hint: look for bottles that say “cold press” on the label. If it’s not cold-pressed, the heat from the extraction process changes the chemistry and quality of the olive oil.

Virgin olive oil is, like EVOO, not blended with other oils, but has a higher acidity—up to 2 percent. It's perfect for garnshing this Crema di Pomodoro (that's fancy Italian for "tomato soup"--and it's awesome hot or cold). 

Pure olive oil or olive oil is a blend of refined pomace oil and virgin olive oil. Pomace is produced by processing the leftovers of the virgin olive oil extraction. The blend (which usually contains as little as 5 to 10 percent virgin olive oil) is cheaper to produce. It doesn’t have as strong a flavor as virgin olive oils, and is best suited for frying and cooking, or even as a less expensive substitute, as in this Orange/Olive Oil Cake. Light olive oil is not lower in fat—it simply means the oil is made from refined olive oil. Bottles labeled “100 percent pure olive oil” are often the lowest quality.

Food Nerd Fact: Just like wine, several European countries have “name place” designations for olive oils, indicating not only the region where the olives were grown and the oil was produced, but also denoting a higher level of standards and quality. If you see “D.O.P.” (Denominazione d’Origine Protetta) on olive oil from Italy or the European Union, “A.O.C.” (Appellation d’Origine Controlée) on French olive oil or “D.O.” (Denominación de Origen) on olive oil from Spain, it is generally considered to be a better olive oil.

Posted by Nest Colleen

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re: Regular olive oil vs. extra virgin olive oil?

Why no mention of New Zealand olive oil?  Having lived over there and discovering The Village Press, I was ecstatic to see that it's now available on Amazon.  Our house is light and bright so I was happy to see that they've just released a chic light-block box option.  Now my oil stays super fresh and maintains the green grass flavor I love so much.  My green bean casserole featured TVP as a main ingredient and I got rave reviews from everyone at the table. YUM!