Olive Oil, oil of the gods or liquid gold like it was called in ancient Greece, it has been a lot more than just food to those living in the Mediterranean. It is the source of good health and loved for it's beautiful flavor and smell. Olive oil enriches almost any dish, it makes the perfect salad dressing combined with some garlic, mustard and white wine vinegar, put it on pasta or on grilled fish with some fresh lemon. Simply divine!

 

 

 

Olives are mostly grown in the Mediterranean, with Spain being the largest producer, olive oil is a protected and valuable commodity and quality controls are stringent. Olive oil comes in a number of different qualities, the less processed the olives, the higher the quality of olive oil.

Extra virgin olive oil, this is the king of olive oils it comes from the first cold pressing (no heat was used during extraction, this keeps the taste pure) and no chemicals have been used during extraction.
Extra virgin olive oil is the purest and the closest to its natural state, it has superior taste, less than 0.8% acidity and has a high content of polyphenols well known for their antioxidant, anticoagulant and anti inflammatory qualities. If you want something extra special then try organic extra virgin olive oil made with love on a small Greek or Italian farm. Taste the difference and fall in love!

Virgin olive oil, also a quality olive oil made from virgin olive oils only it has a slightly higher acidity up to 2%.

Pure olive oil this mostly is a blend of a little virgin and a lot of refined olive oil. This oil is more suited as a cooking oil.

Light olive oil, don't mistake light for low calories because it's not. Light means no or almost no taste. It is more like a marketing concept and for the die hard olive oil lover this product is a no no. Light olive oil is not regulated and is a blend of refined olive oils sometimes even mixed with other vegetable oils.

Health benefits of olive oil

Olive oil is well known for it's health benefits, it is rich source of polyphenols and protects against heart disease as it controls the level of Ldl cholesterol (the bad cholesterol responsible for blocking the arteries) and raises the level of Hdl cholesterol (the good stuff).
Olive oil is one of the main ingredients of the Mediterranean diet, it goes easy on the stomach and is beneficial for people suffering from gastritus and stomach ulcers, it also lowers the risk of gallstones.

People who use olive oil every day, even better if they substitute all other fats with olive oil, have substantial lower rates of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, colon cancer, atherosclerosis, asthma and osteoporosis. For coronary heart disease alone, the risk is almost cut in half if you start using olive oil on a daily basis. Olive oil also is a great treatment for dry skin, and mixed with seasalt it's the best skin exfoliator there is. It really leaves the skin as smooth as silk and it's pure nature.

How to store olive oil

Store olive in a cool and dark place, extra virgin olive oil is a product of nature with no added chemicals and preservatives, exposure to light, heat and oxygen can make it rancid. My advice is to buy a three to four month supply of olive oil and to put a month worth of oil into a smaller bottle or dispenser. This will minimise the exposure to oxygen and prevents oxidation.

Store the rest of the bottle in a cool and dark place and you can enjoy it for months. By the way when refrigerated olive oil turns cloudy, do not worry it doesn't affect the taste or quality of the olive oil, it will regain it's normal appearance back at room temperature. An often made mistake is storing your olive oil near the stove, it seems convenient but the heat will ruin it. So this is a definite no no.


Tips on using olive oil:

When serving bread, potatoes or vegetables, serve extra virgin olive oil instead of butter.
Try salad dressing the Italian way, mix extra virgin olive oil with balsamic vinegar, Italian herbs and fresh garlic .
Purée roasted garlic, cooked potatoes and extra virgin olive oil together to make exceptionally wonderful garlic mashed potatoes. Absolutely delicious!

If you're looking for some great high quality olive oil then this is the place to go, they have some of the best, Italian, Greek and Spanish olive oils on the internet. Here is where I buy most of my Extra virgin olive oils, I recently bought a Olio Verde Unfiltered Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 2007 Harvest (Italy) and it's divine it has a vintage like wine and is made from a single variety of olives. This is so absolutely delicious on a good piece of bread straight from the oven, or as a dressing for some organic roma tomatoes, a little balsamic vinegar, freshly ground black pepper and some sea salt. Enjoy!