By Nancy Harmon Jenkins, The Wall Street Journal
Myths, legends, half-truths and outright lies about olive oil are so present in the current talks on a food lover oil as I do not know where to begin to refute. Some who saw or heard recently: most imported olive oil is an impostor, especially if it comes from Italy; it is actually Moroccan oil or worse. You can not cook with olive oil extra virgin because he set fire or become a dreaded trans fat. Oil extra virgin olive oil comes from the first cold pressing, and the second virgin oil. A buttery taste means that the oil is rancid. The extra virgin oil is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids
None of this is right
Some clarifications:.. The only olive oil worth considering is extra virgin. Anything else, either called pure, light or otherwise, has been refined into a pale and tasteless substance to which is added a little extra virgin olive oil to give color and flavor. In an industrial product manufacturing with industry standards.
The extra-virgin olive oil should simply be the oily juice of the olive, the less water that also contains the fruit. It may have been filtered, but has not been refined. Because it is not standardized, the extra virgin varies greatly in aroma and flavor, depending on many factors.
But the extra virgin denomination does not necessarily mean that the oil is good. I learned a lot in four decades of researching olive oil and its role in the Mediterranean diet, and even produce it itself on my farm in Tuscany. Then get really good tips for oil and use it in the kitchen.
1. Buy oil in dark glass containers. Or better, cans. And reject anything that has been exhibited in the sun or bright lights. Olive oil is extremely sensitive to heat and light.
2. Judge for the price. As the best wine, the best olive oil cost much. That is because it is harvested by hand, pressed within hours of being harvested and produced locally.
3. Be snobbish with tags. In the same bottle I should say where the olives were grown, and possibly what varieties were used, and where and when the oil is produced. Perhaps to indicate the content of free oil acid, or measure of rancidity, being pressed. The best oils do not usually exceed the level of 0.3%.
4. Put emphasis on freshness. Including a vintage date on the label conveys the pride of the producer. The most recent vintage is the best. And do not be lulled into a date of “maturity”, which can be 18 months after packaging. As the oil may already have a year or more to be bottled, might be buying an oil three years without knowing it.
5. The phrase “first cold pressed” means nothing. It goes back to ancient times when oil was making a slow and messy process. Today is a marketing resource. To be extra virgin oil it must be pressed at ambient temperatures which ideally not exceed 29 degrees Celsius. No hot pressing or a second pressing.
6. Raise the temperature. Due to its high polyphenol content, extra virgin olive oil is more stable than many others. You can fry without problems. And it can also be used to bake: cakes acquire a moist and rich texture when it is used instead of butter
7.. Do not think you’ll get your daily serving of Omega-3. If the olive oil extra virgin further evidence of a small trace of Omega-3 fatty acids, suggests that it was contaminated by other oil. The extra virgin is extremely good for health, but not because of its content of Omega-3. Rather, it contains antioxidants that have been shown to contribute to defense against all kinds of chronic diseases.
TRO
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