Known since ancient times as "liquid gold" and featured in countless recipes, olive oil is the undisputed king of the Mediterranean diet, playing a fundamental role in the food pyramid due to its numerous nutritional properties.
It is a genuine and highly versatile food: it can be used to dress a plate of pasta, grilled vegetables, grilled meat or fish, or simply enjoyed with a fragrant slice of warm bread. A good olive oil is the ingredient that can add that extra touch to any dish!
Let's discover some interesting facts about this ingredient:
- The color of olive oil does not define its quality
The shades of olive oil vary from dark green to golden yellow and are determined by several factors:
- the cultivars or varieties used
- the origin of the olives
- the type of soil
- the ripeness of the olives
- the extraction process used.
One shade rather than another does not provide indications of the actual quality of the product.
- If the oil "stings in the throat", it's a positive sign
The pungent sensation of extra virgin olive oil indicates the presence of valuable substances within it, such as polyphenols and tocopherols, which are excellent for our health and for the preservation of the oil.
It is, therefore, a good sign and has nothing to do with the oil's acidity, which is not perceptible to taste but only detectable through laboratory analysis.
This is just one of the many qualities that a high-quality EVO Oil can hide: become a taster to experience a profound sensory journey, learning to recognize all the secrets of the Mediterranean's liquid gold.
- The quality of the oil is influenced by the degree of ripeness of the olives at the time of harvest
Each fruit has its ideal period for harvesting: for olives, it is at the beginning of veraison, when they start to turn purplish – tending towards black – leaving their green color.
The olives will thus be at the beginning of their ripening, resulting in an oil richer in antioxidant properties (polyphenols) and therefore of higher quality.
- The percentage of free acidity is a fundamental parameter for determining the quality of Olive Oil
Free acidity refers to the percentage of free fatty acids present in olive oil. These fats are unsaturated, differing from saturated fats as the former have optimal nutritional values for our well-being.
For an olive oil to be classified as extra virgin olive oil, its free acidity must be less than or equal to 0.8% according to the relevant European regulation (EU Regulation 2095/2016).
Acidity is therefore one of the fundamental parameters for determining the quality of the oil.
Indeed, the lower the free acidity, the higher the quality of the oil.
Although it is not the only parameter for evaluating oil quality, we can say that generally, an acidity between 0 and 0.4% indicates a very high-quality extra virgin olive oil, rich in polyphenols and antioxidants, thanks to olives harvested at the right time, healthy, and treated with due care.
- The smoke point of olive oil is approximately 195°C/198°C
The smoke point represents the temperature at which an oil deteriorates, continuously producing smoke and releasing harmful substances.
Starting from the premise that "everything fried tastes good, even air," let's debunk once and for all the myth that olive oil is not suitable for frying.
Numerous studies and researches, in fact, confirm that EVO oil is the most suitable for this type of cooking due to its high smoke point.
This is because, unlike other oils rich in polyunsaturated fats, it is a monounsaturated fat (rich in oleic acid) and therefore deteriorates more slowly at high temperatures.
- The FDA has recognized the health properties of EVO oil
The Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) – the US agency responsible for monitoring the safety of food and pharmaceutical products – has officially recognized that extra virgin olive oil has important beneficial properties for our health.
Among the main benefits:
- Helps prevent cardiovascular diseases
- Is rich in antioxidants
- Helps fight diabetes
- Is an excellent ally for the intestines
- Combats skin aging
- Is an ally for blood pressure.
- Olive oil has always been a symbol of wealth, prosperity, and harmony
Olive oil has always been considered a symbol of wealth, certainly due to its economic value and the enormous effort behind its production.
But not only that.
Because it comes from a long-lived plant, it is also considered a symbol of good omen, so gifting it means wishing harmony, peace, and prosperity to the person to whom it is given.