Olive Oil
OLIVE OIL KNOWLEDGE - THE BASICS
Olive oil is the liquid produced by pressing whole olives - the fruit of the Olea Europea tree traditionally found in Mediterranean countries. It is commonly used in cooking or as a salad dressing and is a staple part of the Mediterranean diet.
HOW OLIVE OIL IS MADE
The craft of turning olives into oil has been practised in the Mediterranean region over thousands of years, and techniques have been passed down from generation to generation. The key goal when producing quality olive oils is to ensure the olives are picked, cleaned and pressed in the shortest possible time
HOW TO STORE OLIVE OIL
Olive oils are not as stable as vegetable oils with a high saturated fat content such as coconut or palm oil and therefore their storage requires special care. However, thanks to their high monounsaturated fat content, olive oil can be stored longer than most other oils with a higher content of polyunsaturated fat - as long as it's stored properly.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VIRGIN AND NON-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
All olive oils can be classified into one of two groups - Virgin and Non-Virgin oils.
THE KEY QUALITY INDICATORS
There are different organisations which regulate the classification of olive oils across the world and therefore there are slight differences in their requirements. However, when it comes to classifying Extra Virgin Olive Oils, there are certain requirements for the production method and chemical composition which remain universal.
AN INTRODUCTION TO OLIVE OIL TASTING
Olive Oil tasting is becoming increasingly widespread among those passionate about food culture as a fun and enjoyable way to explore the various nuances of this product.
HOW TO TASTE AN OLIVE OIL
Begin by pouring a tablespoon of olive oil into your tasting glass. Cup the bottom of the glass in your hand to warm the oil and cover the top with your other hand or clock glass. Gently swirl the glass to increase the surface area of oil coating the glass.
HOW TO DESCRIBE AN OLIVE OIL
Sensory analysis such as the Swirl, Sniff, Sip and Swallow test is an essential technique to characterise food but how do you consistently describe what you are tasting across a range of oils?
OLIVE OIL AND HEALTH
In 1954, revolutionary scientific studies (Keys, Anderson, Grande) published a comparison of the number of cardiovascular deaths in the Mediterranean compared to the rest of Europe, with an emphasis on food intake, especially fats, across countries.
COOKING WITH OLIVE OIL
Olive oil is a key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet which is considered to be one of the main reason for the low incidence of cardiovascular disease in Mediterranean countries.