What's the difference between virgin olive oil and 'extra' virgin olive oil ? and whats the best for frying in

Olive oil


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A bottle of olive oil.Olive oil is a vegetable oil obtained from the fruit of the Olive tree (Olea europaea L.), a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin. It is used in cooking, cosmetics, soaps and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps. Olive oil is regarded as a healthful dietary oil because of its high content of monounsaturated fat (mainly Oleic acid) and polyphenols.





Contents [hide]


1 Grades and classification


1.1 Industrial grades


1.2 Retail grades


1.3 Label wording


2 The market


2.1 Global olive oil market


3 Olive oil extraction


4 Relation to human health


5 Olive oil in history


5.1 Middle East


5.2 Greece


6 Olive oil in contemporary religious use


7 References


8 See also


9 External links











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Grades and classification


The International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) sets standards of quality used by the major olive oil producing countries. It officially governs 95 percent of international production, and holds great influence over the rest. IOOC terminology is precise, but it can lead to confusion between the words that describe production and the words used on retail labels. Olive oil is classified by how it was produced, by its chemistry, and by its flavor. All production begins by transforming the olive fruit into olive paste. This paste is then malaxed to allow the microscopic oil droplets to concentrate. The oil is extracted by means of pressure (traditional method) or centrifugation (modern method). After extraction the remnant solid substance, called pomace, still contains a small quantity of oil.





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Industrial grades


The several oils extracted from the olive fruit can be classified as:





Virgin means the oil was produced by the use of physical means and no chemical treatment. The term virgin oil referring to production is different from Virgin Oil on a retail label (see next section).


Refined means that the oil has been chemically treated to neutralize strong tastes (characterized as defects) and neutralize the acid content (free fatty acids). Refined oil is commonly regarded as lower quality than virgin oil; the retail labels extra-virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil cannot contain any refined oil.


Pomace olive oil means oil extracted from the pomace using chemical solvents 鈥?mostly hexane 鈥?and by heat.


Quantitative analytical methods determine the oil's acidity, defined as the percent, measured by weight, of free oleic acid in it. This is a measure of the oil's chemical degradation 鈥?as the oil degrades, more fatty acids get free from the glycerides, increasing the level of free acidity. Another measure of the oil's chemical degradation is the peroxide level, which measures the degree to which the oil is oxidized (rancid).





In order to classify olive oil by taste, it is subjectively judged by a panel of professional tasters in a blind taste test. This is also called its organoleptic quality.





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Retail grades


The IOOC standards are complicated. The labels in stores, however, clearly show an oil's grade:





Extra-virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil.


Virgin olive oil with an acidity less than 2%, and judged to have a good taste. There can be no refined oil in virgin olive oil.


Olive oil is a blend of virgin oil and refined virgin oil, containing at most 1% acidity. It commonly lacks a strong flavor.


Olive-pomace oil is a blend of refined pomace olive oil and possibly some virgin oil. It is fit for consumption, but it may not be called olive oil. Olive-pomace oil is rarely found in a grocery store; it is often used for certain kinds of cooking in restaurants.


Lampante oil is olive oil not used for consumption; lampante comes from olive oil's ancient use as fuel in oil-burning lamps. Lampante oil is mostly used in the industrial market.


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Label wording


Olive oil vendors choose the wording on their labels very carefully.





';Imported from Italy'; produces an impression that the olives were grown in Italy, although in fact it only means that the oil was bottled there. A corner of the same label may note that the oil was packed in Italy with olives grown in Spain, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Tunisia. Since Spain produces nearly half of the world's olive harvest, it is likely the oil ';imported from Italy'; comes from olives grown in Spain.


';100% Pure Olive Oil'; sounds like a high-end product, but in fact is often the lowest quality available in a retail store: better grades would have ';virgin'; on the label.


';Made from refined olive oils'; suggests that the essence was captured, but in fact means that the taste and acidity were chemically produced.


';Lite olive oil'; suggests a low fat content, whereas in fact it refers to a lighter color. All olive oil鈥攚hich is, after all, fat鈥攈as 120 Calories per tablespoon (33 kJ/ml).


';From hand-picked olives'; gives the impression that extraordinary care went into the oil's production, whereas it is not clear that a manual harvest produces better oil than the common tree-shaking method.


';First cold press'; the oil in bottles with this label is the first oil that came from the first press of the olives. the word ';cold'; is important because if heat is used the olive oils chemistry is changed.What's the difference between virgin olive oil and 'extra' virgin olive oil ? and whats the best for frying in
Extra virgin olive oil is the first oil that comes from pressing. It is the oil with the most tast.. very good for salads or seasoning.


Virgin olive oil is the second running...


After that the pulp is heated to get more oil out... this is refined oil. Colour is very light and is the best oil for frying.


If you use extra virgin, your whole house is smelling and a bit smokeyWhat's the difference between virgin olive oil and 'extra' virgin olive oil ? and whats the best for frying in
All virgin olive oils must be refined by natural, not chemical methods. Extra-virgin is lighter, more refined, and a better-tasting oil for salads and ';cold'; uses. It is generally a little too light for frying and may have a tendency to burn at high temperatures.
Extra virgin olive oil has only ever been pressed once, whereas virgin olive oil may have been pressed a couple of times hence the difference in price. I don't think there's much difference when it comes to frying with it (I think the difference is in the taste more than anything so is most evident when drizzled over salad or warm pasta rather than cooked with). Hope this helps!
Jeff J's answer is the most correct and complete. Take it from an olive farmer.
extra vergin olive oil is the best... for frying too