Olive Oil: Cultural Asset with Certain Extra

Shady olive groves have characterized the landscape throughout the Mediterranean for centuries. That their fruits are healthy as an important component of Mediterranean cuisine, probably most people know by now. Besides taste and versatility, olive oil is probably one of the reasons why it is becoming more and more popular and has also found its way into our kitchens. What makes olive oil so, you can learn here.

Olive oil contains “healthy fat”

Word has now spread that olive oil not only impresses with its typical taste, but is also an all-around “healthy fat.” The oil consists of nearly 80 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, and is rich in sterols, phenolic compounds, and flavor and aroma compounds. It also contains virtually no cholesterol, but 12 milligrams of the important antioxidant vitamin E per 100 grams. While the aromatic substances are responsible for the oil’s characteristic aroma, the other substances increase its stability. As antioxidants, they prevent harmful oxidation processes (caused by free radicals) and/or are important substances for the positive effect on our health. In terms of calories, olive oil – comparable to other oils – provides 9 kcal per gram.

How healthy is olive oil?

Olive oil is considered particularly healthy, because the oil…

Particularly great effectiveness show oils of the highest quality. There are cold-pressed (extra virgin and virgin) olive oils and those refined with the addition of steam and chemical substances. At the same time, the designation cold-pressed is not an official quality designation.

Four different grades

The European community has developed guidelines according to which olive oils are divided into four different quality classes. The percentage of free fatty acids plays a role, as well as the taste and the production method.

  1. Extra virgin olive oil (extra virgin).
  2. Virgin olive oil (virgin)
  3. Olive oil
  4. Olive pomace oil

Extra virgin olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest grade. The oil is pressed directly from olives in first pressing by purely mechanical means (cold). The percentage of free fatty acids, calculated as oleic acid, must not exceed 1 gram per 100 grams of oil. Furthermore, the taste, smell and color must be particularly exquisite and impeccable. The oil is characterized by a wide variety of tastes.

Virgin olive oil

The virgin olive oil is also obtained by cold pressing. In the virgin olive oil, the fatty acid content can be up to 2 grams per 100 grams of oil. It has a wide variety of flavors, but small misattributes may be noted in sensory testing compared to extra virgin oil.

Olive oil

If the oil obtained by cold pressing does not meet the requirements for virgin oils, it is refined under steam. It may then only bear the designation olive oil. It is then enriched with virgin oils to improve its taste. Olive oil may contain a maximum of 1.5 grams of fatty acids per 100 grams of oil.

Olive pomace oil

From the fruit residues of the pressed olive oil, olive pomace oil is produced in a completely different manufacturing process, which must also be labeled as such. This oil is made exclusively from olive pomace. It is very mild in taste and may contain a maximum of 1.5 grams of fatty acids per 100 grams of oil.

6 Facts about shelf life and processing

Not only when buying olive oil should you attach importance to quality, but also when storing and processing the oil, there are a few things to keep in mind:

  1. Due to its natural antioxidants, olive oils are more heat stable than most other oils. The smoke point of olive oil is 180 °C. It is therefore to a certain extent even suitable for frying.
  2. Olive oils are properly stored (dark and at temperatures between 10 ° C to 16 ° C) at least 18 months durable.
  3. Stored in the refrigerator, olive oil flocculates.This does not cause a loss of quality, but it should be allowed to clear again at room temperature before use.
  4. For buying olive oil, a good olive oil can be recognized by its extreme freshness, it smells like grass, green tomatoes or artichokes.
  5. The color is also important. The oil should be golden yellow with a greenish tinge – it must shine!
  6. In terms of consistency, it should be thin. A bad oil, on the other hand, is dull in color and viscous-thick.

By the way, organic olive oil does not always achieve a better assessment in tests – even pollutants have already been found in organic olive oil. Current product tests can help to determine which olive oil is the best before buying.

Olive oil in Mediterranean cuisine

The characteristic taste of olive oil also makes it a congenial partner of Mediterranean lifestyle. Because this relies on the following elements:

  • Daily variety of plant foods (vegetables, fruits, bread, pasta and other cereal products, legumes and nuts) – as little processed as possible and fresh according to season and region.
  • Olive oil as the main source of fat. Although the oil is suitable for heating, by the way, it is also used cold in Mediterranean cuisine, for example, in dressing for salad.
  • Dairy products, mainly yogurt and cheese, daily in small to moderate moderation.
  • Fish (and poultry) several times a week in moderate amounts.
  • Meat less frequently in smaller quantities.
  • Wine regularly with meals in moderate quantities.
  • More exercise and more sports.

Olive oil for skin and hair

Olive oil is not only popular in the kitchen. The oil is also suitable for external use for healthy hair and beautiful skin and is therefore a popular ingredient in cosmetics. For example, a cream with olive oil cares for dry, cracked skin and makes it supple again. If you want to make your own cosmetics, you can easily make a scrub for the face from olive oil and salt. But be careful: dermatologists advise against applying a generous amount of olive oil after showering, because too much of the oil could dry out the skin. In finished cosmetic products, olive oil is therefore usually low in concentration. Olive oil is also considered a boon for the hair. For example, pure olive oil is said to help as a hair treatment against split ends, itchy scalp and dandruff. Although dermatologists confirm that olive oil can smooth the hair and make it shine, they point out that this effect could be nullified by subsequent washing out with shampoo. So olive oil is not the ideal hair care product.

Olive tree: plant with medicinal properties

Hardly any other plant has always been as revered as the olive tree and its products – whether as a symbol of peace, as the highest prize of victory in the Olympic Games or as a healing plant with far-reaching medicinal properties. More than 150 different olive tree species now provide a variety of tastes almost like wine. Especially in the temperate Mediterranean region, the gnarled trees, which can be several hundred years old and grow up to 20 meters high, find ideal living conditions: plenty of sun, sufficient rain in the fall and not too great temperature differences.

Extraction of olive oil

On average, an olive tree bears about 20 kilograms of olives per year, from which about three to four liters of olive oil can be obtained. The harvest requires a lot of tact. The olive oil grower must choose this moment very carefully, because the degree of ripeness of the olives essentially determines the quality and quantity of oil to be extracted. It is said that the olives are ripe when their green turns to purple. Depending on the type and location of the trees, this change of color occurs between October and early February. When the olives reach the oil mill quickly (the fresher the fruit, the greater the proportion of important secondary plant compounds remains) and in perfect condition, processing begins there:

  • Mechanical separation of branches and leaves.
  • Careful washing
  • Crushing and further processing into porridge
  • Squeezing under pressure (maximum temperature exposure of 27 ° C for cold pressing).
  • Centrifugation and
  • Depending on the provider final filtration