Olive oil is the cornerstone and a key ingredient of the famous Mediterranean diet. It is much healthier than any other cooking oil and healthier than other fats like butter.
But did you know that there are 4 different varieties of olive oil? Here we are going to name them and explain them in detail:
Olive Pomace Oil
Olive-pomace oil has nothing to do with quality olive oil and should be avoided as much as vegetable oils. Olive pomace oil It is extracted from the solid material that remains after the initial extraction of the oil.
The process involves the use of petroleum-based solvents, mainly hexane and heat. The exact same method of extraction is used in the production of soybean, sunflower, canola and most other oils derived from seeds.
Have you ever tried squeezing the oil out of a corn kernel?
Refined Olive Oil
Refined olive oil is made from rancid and oxidized olive oil that has been chemically and thermally treated to eliminate off-flavors and neutralize free fatty acid content.
Refining allows producers to use spoiled olives and mixing low-quality oils since the bad flavors resulting from this treatment are chemically removed.
Refined olive oil is an inferior quality and highly processed oil that it does not possess most of the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil. It also lacks color, flavor, and aromas.
Whenever you see a bottle or can of olive oil that simply says "Olive Oil," it is likely refined. Refined olive oils also have other names to make them more attractive to the unsuspecting consumer:
Pure olive oil: Often mistaken for a healthy option due to the word "pure", it contains around 80% refined olive oil.
Olive Oil Lite: This is a misrepresentation of refined olive oil that is supposedly light in taste. Too often customers have mistaken it for a healthier product, when in fact it has exactly the same calories as extra virgin olive oil with virtually none of the health benefits.
Virgin Olive Oil
Virgin olive oil is a lower quality unrefined olive oil. While it is free from chemical refinement, the acidity levels of virgin olive oil make it a considerably lower option than extra virgin olive oil.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is the freshly squeezed olive juice. It has strong flavors and aromas, it is by far the most healthy and the only one It is made without the use of chemical solvents and industrial refining.
Producing extra virgin olive oil is a harder process than most people think. Starting with the care of the trees and the careful harvesting of fresh olives, to a meticulous follow-up of each step of the entire production process.
During the mechanical extraction process, the temperature must be kept below 27º C at all times. But even after the oil is bottled, it is important that it remains away from heat and light.
The acidity levels of true EVOO cannot exceed 0,8% and the lower the acidity, the higher the quality. Some extra virgin olive oils can have an acidity as low as 0,1%!
Extra virgin olive oil does not stay "extra virgin" forever. Even in perfect storage conditions, the oil will degrade over a period of 2 years and lose its freshness, flavors and aromas.
En Llàgrimes del Canigó We only work with extra virgin olive oil to achieve an intense and balanced aroma and flavor.