Extra Virgin

[Jim Dixon]

On the salad thread, Nina said that ‘evoo overpowers all but the most strongly flavored greens,’ so she preferred to use olive oil that wasn’t labeled ‘extra virgin.’ There are a couple of issues here that could use a little clarification.

disclosure: I import olive oil, so take this with as many grains of salt as you like (preferably coarse sea salt).

Not all extra virgin olive oils taste the same. Some are quite intense, others mild to the point of blandness. About the only way to tell the difference is to taste a lot of different oils until you find a few you like. If it’s the general olive-y flavor you find off-putting, use something else (and more about that later).

A lot of the confusion stems from the label ‘extra virgin.’ Surprisingly, the term doesn’t even appear in FDA labeling rules. In the US, it can mean almost anything, and since extra virgin olive oil commands a much higher price than most other edible oils, it is often misused.

The EU has strict guidelines for the use of extra virgin. The term can only be used if the oil meets processing, chemical, and flavor standards (these last are called ‘organoleptic,’ a term that encompasses flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel). I have a detailed article about olive oil classification at my site, but basically extra virgin olive oil must be mechanically produced (as opposed to refined using heat and solvents such as hexane), have an acidity level of less than 1%, and pass a taste test to detect negative flavor profiles that might come from things like poor harvesting practices or olive fly infestation.

Using lower grades of olive oil (pure, also sold as plain ‘olive oil,’ and olive pomace oil are the most common) comes with another set of problems. These are refined oils, produced from inferior quality fruit or, in the case of pomace oil, the leftover mash from the initial pressing (called pomace in France, sansa in Italy). Producers use a combination of heat and chemical solvents to extract the last molecules of oil, then refine the oil to remove the solvent. The result is flavorless, and virgin or extra virgin oil is blended back in to add flavor. These refined oils can be very low in acidity and usually are bland or almost flavorless.

One of the problems with refined oils is that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to remove all of the solvent. There have been a few cases recently where oil has been recalled after analysis detected potentially harmful levels of solvent residue. Many producers of extra virgin olive oil claim that pomace oil should not be used for human consumption, and while they have an obvious self-interest, it’s hard to argue when we’re talking about proven carcinogens.

But many of the alternatives on the market aren’t all that great either. Most vegetable oils are also refined, and while they don’t have solvent residue, the refining process can lead to the formation of so-called free radicals that promote oxidation. Oxidized fats are more commonly called rancid, and while you probably won’t taste it in supermarket corn oil, there is most likely some degree of rancidity. (Along with flavor, extra virgin olive oil can be high in antioxidants.)

There’s also the whole issue of trans fats, the particularly harmful fatty acids formed when unsaturated fats are hydrogenated to make them more stable. These are mostly found in margarine and other solid forms of industrial fat, but some researchers claim that even liquid seed and vegetable oils can contain trans fats.

In my kitchen I use extra virgin olive oil (and good butter) because I like the flavor. I buy a mild, blended extra virgin oil from Trader Joe’s (either the Trader Giotto 100% Italian or the regular TJ evoo) for cooking and use the good stuff for finishing when I want more flavor. If you want something more neutral, I’d suggest finding expeller-pressed sunflower oil or grapeseed oil. I think there maybe expeller-pressed canola oil out there as well, but regular canola can suffer from the same problems as any industrially-produced edible oil.

Jim

[LaNiña]

I guess it's the olive flavor that I feel does the overpowering, you're right.

I'll use non-olive oil.

[Jaymes]

Using lower grades of olive oil (pure, also sold as plain ‘olive oil,’ and olive pomace oil are the most common) comes with another set of problems. These are refined oils, produced from inferior quality fruit or, in the case of pomace oil, the leftover mash from the initial pressing (called pomace in France, sansa in Italy). Producers use a combination of heat and chemical solvents to extract the last molecules of oil, then refine the oil to remove the solvent. .

One of the problems with refined oils is that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to remove all of the solvent. There have been a few cases recently where oil has been recalled after analysis detected potentially harmful levels of solvent residue. Many producers of extra virgin olive oil claim that pomace oil should not be used for human consumption, and while they have an obvious self-interest, it’s hard to argue when we’re talking about proven carcinogens.

And so how do you avoid this? By only buying "first cold pressed"?

[Fat Guy]

Sorry, I thought this thread was about something else.

[LaNiña]

Sorry, I thought this thread was about something else.

ha ha ha

[Fat Guy]

And so how do you avoid this?  By only buying "first cold pressed"?

You avoid it by purchasing from a reliable source, like Jim or Rare Wine Co. or even Trader Joe's or Zingerman's. Or if you're in New York City you have a whole mess of options.

[Jim Dixon]

Jaymes,

Yes, although the words "first cold-pressed" are really marketing terms. Olives are only pressed once. That produces extra virgin and virgin oil (the difference is the level of acidity...virgin is 1-3%). There is no second pressing, just the extraction and refining I described.

'Cold' means less than about 30 degrees C (86F). Almost all presses use some hot water at some point to help separate the oil from the paste before the final separation in the cetrifuge. Cold-pressed oils are those not heated to high temperatures to extract even more oil.

My advice (aside from buying oil from me, which I always think is a good idea) is to buy oil from someplace you trust. The big labels like Bertolli make an okay cooking oil, but for finishing (if you're like me, anyway) you really want what is sometimes referred to as an 'estate' olive oil. It probably won't say exactly that on the label, but these are oils that come from a specific olive grove as opposed to blends from all over the Mediterranean (Bertolli buys oil from Spain, Tunisia, Greece, etc, then blends and bottles it in Italy). You'll have to pay more, but it is possible to find decent, if not excellent, oils in the $10/liter range. Most likely they will be from Spain or Greece and have a softer flavor than the Italian oils (typically because of the different olive cultivars grown and cultural preferences in harvesting).

Jim

[Jinmyo]

I just love it when Jim talks olive oil.

[foodie52]

Thanks for all the info, Jim. I didn't know that "press" and "extraction" are terms for different processes. So "first press" is misleading. Also, I have been told that "cold press" is redundant: that cold IS first press. Is this correct?

I teach an olive oil class 3 times a year. Our main thrust is to introduce our students to 5 or 6 estate oils from various countries. We taste and then use them in recipes. I give them a brief overview of oil production: simply what I have learned through attending classes on my own, and from reading. I like Peggy Knickerbocker's book.

Do you have any favorite oils? Mine currently are Morea ( Greece), Aprutium and Sommaia de Frantoio ..Italy..( this is a good year for them.)

[SobaAddict70]

My issue is that people overuse EVOO/balsamic vinegar/white truffle oil, etc. to the point where they're using it just because its there.

I prefer to think of EVOO as something you'd use to enhance a finished dish at the last minute of cooking or before serving, or if its something ethereally simple, like uncooked tomato sauce. Very often, NOT EVOO (like plain OO) will do just fine, esp. if the flavor will be obscured by something else (citrus for example). I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

Help?

SA

[Bux]

In NYC, I do a lot of tasting at Di Palo's on Broome Street. The best time to taste is in the winter when the novellos first start coming in. My favorites tend to be the ones with the most fruity olive taste. My wife usually likes a bit of bite in the taste. Nevertheless we go through variety just to keep our diet interesting. There was one EV novello that I found a bit bland but in a lovely way, that Louis (the proprietor) described as buttery. We also regularly use an olive oil made by Carli for cooking purposes. Currently we're using their EVOO which runs about ten bucks a liter, but don't quote me. We've also used their standard olive oil with is about a buck a liter cheaper. I'm not very extravagant, but that doesn't seem very expensive. Neither have a very pronounced flavor, nor have I ever seen these open for tasting.

[Peter B Wolf]

Everyone: keep the "pressing wheels" and this thread "oiled", this is like getting credits for college. I learned more here on eGULLET in the last year of it's inception, then in my apprenticeship. And that was fifty years ago. Thanks, Jim and all others.

[Jim Dixon]

Jinmyo

You wouldn't believe how often I hear that....

I have been told that "cold press" is redundant: that cold IS first press. Is this correct?

Yes, this is correct. The term 'cold press' evolved to distinguish extra virgin and virgin oils from refined or rectified oils (they're called rectified sometimes because they have no taste and need to be rectified to get some) that require high temps to get out the oil.

Knickerbocker's book is okay, but she oversimplifies the differences in processing and makes a couple of mistakes. For example, in Italy almost every frantoio uses a centrifuge to separate the oil and vegetable water, the final step in the pressing process. Knickerbocker says that this is how larger industrial producers extract more oil, glossing over the refining process. And most of the frantoios use modern continous presses, and the oil that comes out of these is arguablly better than that produced by the traditional grindstone and piston-type press since there is more control over pressure and heat.

Since a key part of my business plan is to have plenty of oil in my kitchen, my favorite oils are the ones I import (from Campania, Sicily, Umbria, and Tuscany).

Jim

[Ron Johnson]

I prefer to think of EVOO as something you'd use to enhance a finished dish at the last minute of cooking or before serving, or if its something ethereally simple, like uncooked tomato sauce.  Very often, NOT EVOO (like plain OO) will do just fine, esp. if the flavor will be obscured by something else (citrus for example).  I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

Help?

SA

I know that Mario Batali does everything with EVOO, even deep frying, because he says that is the way it is done in Italy. He says the Italians use the pomace oil primarily for lubricating their chassis.

He uses the very high quality estate EVOO for finishing, and the regular EVOO for all cooking purposes.

Of course, you may not view Signor Batali as authoritative on Italian cuisine.

[Bux]

I know that Mario Batali does everything with EVOO, even deep frying, because he says that is the way it is done in Italy.  He says the Italians use the pomace oil primarily for lubricating their chassis. 

He uses the very high quality estate EVOO for finishing, and the regular EVOO for all cooking purposes.

Of course, you may not view Signor Batali as authoritative on Italian cuisine.

No one is an authority on Italian cooking, or should I say that everyone in Italy is an authority, but Mario is a well qualified voice on the subject.

There are EVOOs that are inexpensive (everything is relative) and relatively neutral in taste. I mentioned the Carli brand oils we've been using for cooking. The difference in price between the regular oil and the extra virgin is about a buck a liter. I suppose that's ten bucks a year, but I don't keep track of how fast we replenish the supply. If we use it faster, we should probably buy the larger can for a savings.

When it comes to the better extra virgin olive oils, we're really not talking about a product, but a range of flavors and tastes. If I were running an Italian restaurant I don't know if I'd settle on a house oil that would represent my style of cooking and offer a standard flavor or if I'd have a variety of oils open at any time and match them to particular dishes. For me, variety is the spice of life, but I only open one EVOO at a time in the interest of freshness.

EVOO is clearly an acquired taste. Most French mayonnaise is made with vegetable oil. We used to make it with half vegetable oil and half rather bland olive oil, but mayonnaise made with egg yolks and a really flavorful EVOO can be an incredible treat. Of course it has to be used with a food that takes to olives and it may limit the other seasonings you choose to use in the salad or sandwich.