Extra virgin olive oil is simply fresh olive juice: olives are crushed and the oil is separated without heat or chemicals. Lower grades such as 'pure', 'light' or pomace olive oil are refined, which strips away much of the flavour and the natural antioxidants that make olive oil special.
With so many bottles on the shelf, a few simple checks will help you pick a genuine extra virgin oil.
1. Read the label carefully
Look for the words 'extra virgin', not just 'olive oil', 'pure' or 'light'. A good label also tells you exactly what is inside and who made it.
Extra virgin olive oil as the only ingredient
No blended seed oils, colours or preservatives
A clear manufacturing or best-before date
The producer's name and contact details
2. Choose a bottle that protects the oil
Light and heat are olive oil's biggest enemies. Dark glass protects the oil from light and helps it stay fresh for longer. If you buy a PET bottle, simply keep it in a dark cupboard.
3. Smell and taste it
Fresh extra virgin olive oil smells green and fruity, like cut grass, green apple or olive leaves. On the tongue you may notice a pleasant bitterness and a peppery tickle at the back of the throat. That peppery finish comes from natural polyphenols and is a good sign of freshness.
If an oil smells musty, greasy or like old crayons, it has either been refined or has gone stale.
4. Be wary of prices that look too good
Real extra virgin olive oil takes a lot of olives and careful handling to produce, so it can never be the cheapest oil on the shelf. A very low price is often a sign of blending or refining.
What about the fridge test?
You may have heard that real olive oil turns solid in the fridge. Many good oils do thicken in the cold, but so do some blends, so the test isn't reliable. Your nose, your tongue and a producer you trust are much better guides.
