Olive Oil has long been the oil of choice for Chefs worldwide. It can be used for anything from pan frying to drizzling on raw and ready to eat vegetables. It has excellent health benefits as it is an unsaturated fat. Olive Oil comes in many forms, flavors, and grades which make it all the more interesting in terms of discovering its capabilities. So let’s discover how it is produced.

The production of Olive Oil begins in the time of the Roman Empire. It was considered a symbol of peace and fertility. Currently over 95% of Olive Oil comes from the European Union. Spain alone accounts for 30% of Olive Oil Production and Greece devotes 90% of its cultivated land to the farming of Olive Trees. It seems that Spain cultivates most of the Worlds Olive Oil, however much of that is exported to Italy for packaging and distributing.

Steps in Production

• First, the Olives are shaken from the trees and collected
• Second, the Olives are grinded to a pulp using heavy millstones
• Third, that pulp paste is spread onto mats and staked on top of each other
• Fourth, those mats are put into a press in which tons of pressure are put on the mats, forcing the oil to be collected

Grades of Olive Oil

• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil - made from the first pressing and contains no more than 0.8% acidity
• Virgin Olive Oil - made from the second and third pressing, and has acidity of less than 2% and has "good taste"
• Pure Olive Oil - a blend of refined oil and Virgin Olive Oil
• Olive Pomace Oil - oil extracted from the leftover pressings using solvents

Additional Resources

How to Taste Olive Oil

Alternative Uses for Olive Oil

Greek Olive Oil

The Olive Blog

FDA Decree on Health Benefits of Olive Oil

The Flavors of Olive Oil: A Tasting Guide and Cookbook - Amazon