.topnav { font-size: 0.8em; color: #000; background-color: #FFCF29; border: 1px #00009C solid; padding: 0.5em; }

Selecting Olive Oil

How do you know what to look for when selecting olive oil for recipes? 
Flavour, smoke point, nutritional value, grade, and variety should all be considered.

I recommend choosing extra virgin when selecting olive oil for recipes. There are plenty to choose from, try different varieties within this grade. 

They say olive oil is like wine in that quality makes all the difference and once you’ve tasted the good stuff, you won’t want to go back.

I've read that heating olive oil doesn't affect its nutritional value. Sorry, I don’t believe that and the sources I've found to be most credible don’t agree either. 

I’ve also read that refined olive oil contains the same health benefits as extra virgin. Wrong again! For one thing, extra virgin contains between 50 and 80 parts per million polyphenols, where as refined oils only have about 5 ppm. And that’s just the polyphenols! 

There are a lot more vitamins and antioxidant compounds that are surely lost in the refining process as well. 

The wonderful flavours of olive oil are what set it apart from all other vegetable and seed oils. 
olive oil in wine glass
Read a little more about how Olive Oil Flavour influences your choice when selecting olive oil.
Olive Oil Smoke Point
Will you be heating the olive oil? 

Which method of cooking are you planning to use? The smoke point is another consideration when selecting olive oil for recipes that involve heating the oil.
Nutrients in Olive Oil
The number one reason I use olive oil is for its health benefits. 

It is a rare occasion when I deep-fry, so most of my family’s olive oil consumption is in dips, dressings, mixed with butter as a table spread or on popcorn.There are a lot more nutrients in olive oil than what is listed on the label.
Olive Oil Grades
The olive oil grades will perform differently depending on how you choose to use them.
The international olive oil council lists 9 grades in total, but we mostly see extra virgin, pure, or pomace olive oils in the stores. I use only extra virgin, pure olive oil, unlike it's name suggests, has been refined and has a higher smoke point, but lacks flavour and nutritional value.
Olive Varieties small
Each of the olive varieties offers a unique flavour, but the variety also impacts polyphenol content, shelf life, and quality of the olive oil.