Olive Oil

Olive Oil Basics

Olive Oils for Every Type of Cook

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Olive Oil Quick Facts

# Most "Italian" olive oils don't even use Italian olives. In fact, they mostly use olives that come from Spain's south eastern region of Andalucia. # For pure Italian olive oil look for the label that says "100% Italian olives." Click here for information about the "Olive Oil Scandal." # High cost does not mean higher quality you have to taste it. Want to know more about the history of olive oil?

The Right Type of Olive Oil

* '''Dipping''' ** If you like to dip bread into olive oil as an appetizer, or for pouring on salads, choose a higher-grade extra virgin olive oil. ** Usually this means that it's more expensive, but it will also have a better flavor, which anyone can appreciate when eating olive oil in this fashion. * '''Cooking''' ** If you only use olive oil for cooking, the grade is less important because it will blend with the other flavors that you are cooking with. ** Lower-grade olive oil will save you more money in the long run, if it is primarily for cooking purposes. ** Virgin or less than virgin is usually fine. ** However, if the oil is one of the main flavors of the dish, you will want to go with a higher grade. Gourmets will insist on extra virgin oil for all uses including cooking although they may use a cheaper extra virgin for cooking than for finishing dishes. * '''Choose the strength carefully.''' ** For robust meaty pastas and anything spicy, a stronger flavored olive oil is best because it will match the other strong flavors in the dish. ** For dipping bread, choose something slightly lighter, fruiter and more mild. Also try a flavored olive oil, which is quite tasty for dipping and drizzling on salads. * '''Buy more than one bottle.''' ** Try a few different brands, grades, and strengths of olive oil. ** Smell and taste them side by side to see which is more pungent, fruity, etc. ** Olive oil is like wine, varying in body, flavor, and color. Each one will work differently when you use it for different things. *** For an excellent Web site that discusses the tasting of olive oils, from the aroma to terms, to classifications and more, please visit the Olive Oil Source. !

Deciphering Olive Oil Jargon

Here is an explanation, in plain speak, of the terminology that you will typically see on a bottle of olive oil. If you are interested in learning more about olive oil, including production statistics, methods, and more, please visit the excellent Web site, * '''Grade ''' **California olive oil is getting better all the time.

Some Manufacturers

* Agrumato * Bertolli * Bevian * California Olive Ranch * Colavita * Consorzio * Filippo Berio * Lucini * Monino * Planeta