Olive oil is called "liquid gold" for a reason. This product is appreciated not only for its undeniable health benefits, but also for its delicate taste and unique smell. The best olive oil is obtained from a mixture of ripe olives and a small proportion of green olives, this is the oil of the first pressing and cold pressing. When buying oil, you need to focus on color, clarity, taste, aroma and acidity. If it is not possible to taste the oil, you should know what inscriptions on the labels you should pay attention to.
Instructions
Step 1
Color and transparency Extra virgin olive oil is the best and, as a result, expensive oil. In color, it can resemble good champagne (light straw color), it can also be greenish-golden or bright green. The more intense the color of this oil, the richer the taste. Green color indicates that unripe olives were used in its production. This oil is to the taste of some connoisseurs. Filtered extra virgin olive oil, crystal clear, without precipitation and impurities. Virgin Olive Oil is also a low acid virgin olive oil. May be a little cloudy, but not cloudy. The color can be the same shades as Extra virgin. Fino olive oil is a mixture of the two previous oils. Light cloudiness is allowed. Color from light straw to greenish-golden. Light olive oil - refined olive oil. Always transparent, color from light yellow to dark yellow. The deep yellow color indicates that it was made from overripe olives. This is permissible for such an oil, since it is this oil that is less aromatic and is recommended for heat treatment.
Step 2
Taste and Smell: Oil from green olives, harvested in early autumn, has a distinct pungent taste, characterized as herbaceous or woody, and an equally fresh aroma. This oil is for true connoisseurs, many will not be able to immediately appreciate its subtle, but distinct bitterness. Oil from ripe olives, harvested from the beginning of winter to spring, is famous for its harmonious rounded fruit taste and aroma. Oil intended for frying has a muted taste and unexpressed aroma. … Good olive oil never smells like earth, mold, or grease. All these and any other unpleasant odors are a sign of rancidity. Only very expensive green oil tastes bitter; for everyone else, any bitterness is also a bad sign.
Step 3
Acidity Acidity cannot be determined by color, taste, or odor. Here you should trust the manufacturers. The expensive oil has the lowest acidity, up to 1%. Allowed value up to 3, 3%.
Step 4
Important mandatory information on the labels of expensive oils: grade (Extra Virgin, Virgin, Ordinary, etc.); acidity level; varieties of olives from which it is prepared; time of picking olives; origin (Spain, Italy, Greece, America).
Step 5
Unnecessary information posted on bottles of oil disguised as expensive. "First cold pressing" - all olive oil is obtained only by cold pressing, expensive oil is always first pressed. "Cholesterol Free" - Olive oil is a healthy oil, it never contains cholesterol. "Natural, unrefined, no preservatives" is also natural for olive oil. "Manufactured without the use of chemicals."
