How to Shop for Extra Virgin Olive Oil
If you're new to buying high-end olive oil, you may be wondering what to look for and how to compare different products. In this buyer's guide, we'll walk you through the basics and provide helpful tips so you can determine what olive oil to buy for your cooking needs.
What Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
Olive oil comes from pressing olives, a process that dates back to about 3000 B.C.E. Thought to have originated in Ancient Greece, the process of making olive oil later spread throughout the Mediterranean region. Today, authentic Italian olive oil is considered to be some of the finest in the world.
Once olive oil is produced, it's graded to determine the quality. The best olive oil is considered to be extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), which is the finest grade available.
Features of the Best Olive Oils
The EVOO available in most grocery stores today is not made to the highest standards. Italian olive oil, on the other hand, is made using cold pressing, which means no heat about 60 degrees Fahrenheit is involved. Cold pressing prevents natural antioxidants from being destroyed by heat, so it produces the healthiest olive oils.
To find the best authentic extra virgin olive oil, it's important to look for a product that is made in Italy and has been cold pressed. In Italian, this process is called "spremitura a freddo." The best-rated EVOO products also feature a D.O.P. designation, which means Protected Designation of Origin. This signifies that the producer has met strict certification standards for the origin and production of their olive oils.
What Do the Best Olive Oils Taste Like?
The following are a few of the best olive oil brands to try to experience different flavor notes:
- Fonte di Foiano: Classic robust Tuscan with spicy, bitter, and peppery notes
- Quattrociocchi Olivastro Organic: From Lazio, the region of Rome, with notes of herbs, lush flavor
- Frantoi Cutrera Primo DOP and Primo Double: Lush grassy notes with elements of tomato leaf
Where to Buy the Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Olio2go is the ultimate resource for high-end olive oils. We work directly with more than 70 producers from all 20 regions of Italy, each of which offers small batch productions with a limited supply of authentic extra virgin olive oil.
It's important to us to make sure we have close relationships with the producers of the finest authentic Italian olive oils. We make regular visits to Italy to see their production processes, and we obtain lab reports for the oils we direct import. By reviewing items such as free fatty acid levels, peroxides, UV K232, polyphenols and the sensory analysis, we ensure that our customers always get a top-quality product.
As the leading online retailer of authentic Italian extra virgin olive oil, Olio2go is the best place to find high-quality EVOO. Shop online now to discover premium olive oils according to flavor profile or region.