Extra virgin olive oil is obtained by cold-pressing olives using only mechanical means and processes. It preserves intact monounsaturated fats, antioxidant polyphenols, and numerous other compounds beneficial to human health.
In fact, the use of chemical products is excluded throughout the entire production process.
Nothing causes alterations in the oil and this affects its level of free acidity which, expressed as oleic acid, remains lower than 0.8%.
This is just one of the most important characteristics of extra virgin olive oil. As we'll see in the following paragraphs, however, EVOO is much more than a vegetable fat. According to some sources, the acronym EVOO was coined by agronomist Stefano Epifani to distinguish extra virgin olive oil from virgin olive oil, because the latter differs from the former not only in flavor but also—and above all—in authenticity and health benefits.
Differences between EVO oil and olive oil
An EVO oil is obtained by cold pressing olives that have never touched the ground.
Today we can count 3 types of virgin oil:
- the extra virgin olive oil we just described;
- virgin olive oil with a free acidity of less than 2 g (expressed in oleic acid) and with a median of defects of less than 3.5 (where the median is the average score given to an oil by a group of tasters);
- lampante olive oil , whose acidity levels and median defects exceed those of virgin olive oil, making it unsuitable for human consumption.
As you may have noticed, acidity is an important characteristic in the classification of oils.
This is also why we producers of EVOO feel the need to distinguish virgin olive oil from extra virgin olive oil. The former, in fact, undergoes processes that degrade its quality: its acidity level increases, and the Vitamin E deteriorates.
How much extra virgin olive oil should we consume every day?
Like any food, extra virgin olive oil should also be considered from a caloric point of view.
EVO oil should be consumed considering the amount of calories that each person can consume based on their energy expenditure.
100 ml contains 91 g of fat, including 18 g of saturated fatty acids, for a total of 812 kcal. These nutritional values will help you integrate it harmoniously into the rest of your diet.
It's a real panacea, but that shouldn't give us permission to overdo it.
The recommended daily amount to reap its full benefits? 2 tablespoons a day, raw.
This is according to the Food and Drug Administration - the American government agency that manages foods and medicines - according to which since 2018 EVO is no longer "just" a food but a real medicine.
EVO oil and its main uses
Since EVOO is high-quality—and therefore slightly more expensive than average—it's generally best used raw. This method also allows us to fully enjoy not only its flavor but also its nutritional properties.
However, a study published a few years ago in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry shows that olive oil withstands heat better in a fryer or pan than seed oils.
You'll see how a drizzle of our oils will enhance your dishes. Among our collections, you'll find different types of EVO oil suited to different tastes and pairings.
EVO oil: how is it preserved?
It is good practice to store it away from the stove and in dark glass bottles because heat and light are responsible for the oxidation of its properties.
Extra virgin olive oil is suitable for frying , as it has a very high smoke point (around 210°C). However, it should be noted that above the smoke point, acrolein is released, a substance toxic to the liver and irritating the gastric mucosa. At these temperatures, both polyphenols and vitamins are lost.
At Frantoio D'Orazio, we know that when it comes to quality, it's unthinkable to ignore the production process. In our article " How the Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is Made ," we discuss the eight stages we put our olives through to preserve all the organoleptic properties of an excellent EVOO.
