Olive Oil Types

Olive oil is referred to as liquid gold and some of the best extra virgin olive oil are savored and prized like wine. Olive oil is not only used for cooking but it is also used as a massage oil, for promoting hair growth. In Mediterranean cuisine, olive oil is used liberally and now everyone uses olive oil for its health benefits. It is loaded with flavonoids and antioxidants and it also has the ability to slow down the aging process. It is highly prized because it is high in monounsaturated fats that help to lower LDL or bad cholesterol in the body. The official definition of olive oil is oil that is obtained from the green olives.

Different Types of Olive Oil

The different types of olive oil are listed below.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
This type of olive oil is the best quality and most expensive olive oil that is produced. It is obtained from the first pressing of the fresh hand-picked olive fruits and it has the highest amount of antioxidants. An olive oil to qualify as an extra virgin should have less than 1% acidity and it should be cold pressed. Unlike other types of olive oil, it is neither processed or refined and you can distinguish it by its unique flavor, aroma and color.

Extra virgin olive oils differ in taste and aroma according to the quality and type of olives used, weather conditions, the region where the olives were grown and the time of harvest. All these factors are responsible for varying taste of the extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil should never be heated as the oil loses its flavor and this type of olive oil is best used for salad dressing and vinaigrette. It is generally greenish-golden to bright green in color and deeper the color more intense is the flavor.

Virgin Olive Oil
This types of olive oil is slightly inferior to extra virgin olive oil and it is mainly used for cooking Mediterranean cuisine and in baking cakes and pastry crusts. After pressing the oil by mechanical means, it is not processed or refined. It has a greater level of acidity than extra virgin olive oil, around 1.5% to 2.0%. These olive oil types are also ideal for body and hair massages. Although olive oil can be used for sauteing vegetables, this type of olive oil is not recommended for deep-frying. Some people do not prefer virgin olive oil for cooking because it has a quite strong flavor and aroma.

Refined Olive Oil
Refined olive oil is obtained by refining virgin olive oil without altering the initial glyceridic structure. Refining virgin olive oil eliminates the high acidity level. The refining of olive oil is done by the use of chemical and physical filters. Refined olive oil is made for bulk consumption and is very much cheaper than extra virgin or virgin olive oil. It can be used for day-to-day cooking but should be avoided in salad dressings. This olive oil type is considered much inferior to the other varieties of olive oil and it does not have the characteristic flavor, taste or aroma of pure olive oil.

Olive Oil
This type of olive oil is made by blending refined olive oil with virgin olive oil in certain proportions to retain some of its aroma and taste. Most of the olive oil that we purchase from supermarket falls under this category. Olive oils that are sold as "Light" or "Extra Light" all fall under this category. Since the amount of virgin olive oil mixed in refined olive oil is different in different brands, so the prices also vary.

Olive oil has many health benefits and you should try to replace butter and margarine with olive oil in your cooking. Other than these olive oil listed above you can also purchase infused olive oils like garlic infused olive oil or rosemary infused olive oil.