Why do the TV 'Chefs' alway refer to EXTRA virgin olive oil?!
Why do the TV 'Chefs' alway refer to EXTRA virgin olive oil?
Having recently change from cooking with butter, to margarine, to vegatable/sunflower oil, to olive oil, I'm try to learn when to use what grade of olive oil?
Answers: extra virgin is a more pure oil it is from the first pressing of the olive.
I always use extra virgin olive oil to cook with and dont bother with 'light olive oil' it has no taste at all
did you know you can flavour your oil?
I have a little glass jar which I keep in the pantry which is
olive oil
chopped garlic
chopped chill
pepper
salt
I keep this handy when Im cooking meat that needs a little extra kick and its also great to pour on salad
I have many Italian friends who use olive oil poured onto fresh warm bread ....beats butter hands down and is better for you Extra virgin oil is the oil from the first pressing so its more virgin....and better tasting....the other olive oils are from the second pressing and subsequent pressing of the mush which is left over....the cheap stuff can be used for cooking, and the extra virgin should be used for dressings, in other words not to cook with but drizzled on afterwards as it has a nice taste all on its own...that is why is costs more. Extra virgin olive oil is the best one to use for cooking. There are many different olive oils out that. always buy the best quality extra virgin olive oil it is better for you. the grade is how it was pressed and the colour some bottles of italian extra virgin olive oil can reach ￡300 a bottle
the web site below should help you out The virgin olive oil is much more healthier and, of course, has better taste. Search the Kitchen Encyclopedia:
olive oil
Oil made from olives. olive oil varieties: (ranked from highest to lowest quality) extra-virgin, superfine, fine, virgin and pure. Extra-virgin olive oil is the first pressing of whole unblemished olives done within a day of harvest. No more than 1% of the oil is free oleic acid which makes the oil taste sharp. Light olive oil refers to the color and taste of the oil, not the calorie count at all. Often these oils have little or no extra-virgin oil in the blend and are therefore bland. Though not normally sold in the U.S. the standards for virgin olive oil are the same as extra-virgin olive oil, only the free oleic acid can be up to 3% of content, so the quality is not as good. Oddly enough, I've already mentioned that in answer to a question involving the very lovely and wonderful Jamie Oliver - well, HE thinks so anyway! - and my point is this: WHY do we always have to use "Extra virgin" olive oil? Why can't we use "Old slag" olive oil, just for a change, to see what difference it would make ! ! ! Extra virgin is the first pressing, without any heat or chemicals applied to extract the oils. It has the most flavor, but it burns at a lower temperature than say vegetable oil.
I use it mostly for salad dressings, making soups and tomato sauce, braising, roasting, and sauteing.
I use "pure" or "light" olive oil for frying. Light olive oil has been heated to extract what oil is left form the olive pulp from the first pressing.
It has a much higher smoke point than extra virgin olive oil. Virgin olive oil and olive oil are from second and subsequent pressings of the olives and are the best grade of olive oil to use for cooking.
Extra virgin is from the first pressing of the olives and is the purest and most expensive. It is best used for salads, breads and to drizzle on top of food after its been cooked, especially because its got such an excellent taste and flavour of its own. It can be used in cooking but is really rather a waste to do so. EVOO rules. Best for salads and flavoring dishes. Use regular olive oil or canola for frying. because extra virgin oil is much safr than the ordinary cooking oil