Buying Gourmet Olive Oil Gives More Value For Money

30 Sep 2018 18:44
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The secret to any great tasting dish is using the finest quality ingredients - and that includes gourmet olive oil. Chefs are known to drizzle virgin oil on dishes like wood fired pizzas, salads, soups and sauces. Extra virgin oil is as flavourful as it is healthy, which is why more people are now adding it to their diets.

Production process

Virgin oil is the finest quality you can get from the olive fruit. It is extracted immediately after harvest and pressed under low temperatures to preserve all its nutrients as well as flavour. For the extracted oil to be considered extra virgin, chemicals should not have been added to it as well. Other types being sold as "pure" or "light" imply either an over-extraction from the fruit or a mixture of a small percentage of virgin and highly processed oil.

Gourmands know the subtle taste difference in the two types of oils which is why they buy only gourmet olive oil immediately extracted from freshly picked fruits.

Out of the hundreds of olive varieties grown worldwide, only a few are used to produce virgin oil. These include the Tuscan Frantoio and Lecino varieties. Olive producing countries may use different varieties for table olives and oil production. In Australia, for example, the Spanish Manzanillo olive is consumed as green or black table olives although the Spanish use it to produce oil.

Best quality oil

Members of the Australian olive industry adhere to high production standards in order to obtain an extra virgin oil certification for their products. Aside from picking only undamaged fruits and observing fast processing times at low temperatures, the oils undergo taste and chemical tests as well.

Obtaining comprar aceite under these rigorous conditions not only promotes better tasting oils but also preserves its antioxidants and monounsaturated fats. Studies and experiments consistently show that the polyphenols found in these oils protect against cell damage, inflammation and intestinal diseases. Plant chemicals, however, are no longer effective when subjected to high temperatures which is why it is best to extract oil through cold pressing.

Virgin oil is also a rich source of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that is good for your heart as it promotes healthy blood circulation, reduces hypertension and the risk of coronary heart disease.

Gourmet olive oil sellers surmise that the less healthy "pure" and "light" oil sells faster than the virgin oils because of its lower price. Considering its numerous health benefits and delicate flavour, buying only extra virgin quality gives you real value for your money.

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