I love me some olive oil. Plain, flavored, boutique, I love it all. My favorite scent isn’t a cologne – it’s onions and garlic sauteeing in olive oil. So it should be no surprise that I have regular flavors for different meals. For example, if I’m making Mexican food I have a Jalapeño Olive Oil. If I’m making Italian food I have my trusty Stinking Rose Garlic Olive Oil.
So I have discovered THE olive oil website of olive oil websites. Anything you ever wanted to know about olive oil can be found at, what else? The Olive Oil Source! They do custom oils, soaps, vinegar. Very cool. I spent a few hours looking through everything.
The first olive oil cultivation is believed to have taken place on the Greek island of Crete. Archeological evidence suggest that olives were being grown in Crete as long ago as 2,500 BC. The earliest surviving olive oil vessels, or amphorae, date to 3500 BC, though olive oil production is assumed to have started before 4000 BC. Besides food, olive oil has been used for religious rituals, medicines, as a fuel in oil lamps, soap-making, and skin care products. So olive oil has been around a long time and it’s used for a lot of things.
Three countries are the major olive oil producers in the world. First is Spain, second is Italy and third is Greece. Together, they produce more than 75% of the world’s olive oil production. In North America, Italian and Spanish olive oils are the best-known, and top-quality extra-virgin oils from Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece are sold at high prices, often in “prestige” packaging. Olive orchards in Arizona, California, and Texas are producing olive oil as well.
The grades of oil extracted from the olive fruit are:
Virgin: the oil was produced by the use of physical means with no chemical treatment. The term virgin oil referring to production is different from Virgin Oil on a retail label.
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 considered lower quality than virgin oil; oils with the retail labels extra-virgin olive oil and virgin olive oil cannot contain any refined oil.
Olive pomace oil means oil is extracted from the pomace using solvents, mostly hexane, and by heat.
Retail grades in the United States from the USDA – As of October 25, 2010, the U.S. Standards for Grades of Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil went into effect.The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) currently has a four-part grading of olive oil based on acidity, absence of defects, odor and flavor:
U.S. Extra Virgin Olive Oil for oil with excellent flavor and odor and free fatty acid content of 0.8g per 100g (0.8%); This is what Rachael Ray calls EVOO and it provides the most vitamins and nutrients, including easier digestion than others.
U.S. Virgin Olive Oil for oil with reasonably good flavor and odor and free fatty acid content of not more than 2g per 100g (2%);
U.S. Virgin Olive Oil Not Fit For Human Consumption Without Further Processing is a virgin oil of poor flavor and odor; Not sure why the USDA even bothered…
U.S. Olive Oil is an oil mix of both virgin and refined oils;
U.S. Refined Olive Oil is an oil made from refined oils with some restrictions on the processing;
Health Benefits of Olive Oil:
Protection against Heart Disease: Olive oil, primarily cold pressed, lowers LDL cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol) while raising HDL (good) cholesterol levels. Higher levels of HDL cholesterol help prevent heart disease, so 1 teaspoon twice daily helps lower cholesterol levels.
Assists with Diabetes: Olive oil helps control blood sugar levels and thus helps your body maintain healthy sugar levels if you suffer from or are at risk of diabetes.
Helps with Asthma and Arthritis: Olive oil’s monounsaturated fats are utilized by your body to produce anti-inflammatory agents that can assist in decreasing the severity of asthma and arthritis.
Cancer Fighting Abilities: Olive oil has antioxidants that help fight cancer cells and in some cases, when combined with other therapies, have destroyed cancer cells.
Anti-Aging: Olive oil contains both vitamins A and E, which decrease the body’s breakdown of some fatty acids thus decreasing the signs of aging, including wrinkled skin. It also provides essential fatty acids, which help prevent calcium loss in bones in adults and promote bone growth in children.
Promotes Healthy Digestion: Olive oil contains magnesium, squalene and cycloartenol, which aid in decreasing acidity within the stomach and help alkalise food leaving the stomach.
Go olive oil!
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