Category: Olive oil

According to the European Food Safety Authority, olive oils with high levels of polyphenols can bear a 'medical-grade' health claim. Given this, many wonder: can you use medical olive oil for cooking, or is it strictly for therapeutic use? The answer hinges on understanding what "medical" means for olive oil and how processing affects its composition.

According to the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), refined olive-pomace oil is explicitly defined as oil obtained from crude olive-pomace oil through refining methods. This means that, unlike extra virgin olive oil, pomace olive oil is indeed a refined product, extracted using chemical solvents and high heat from the leftover olive pulp and pits.

According to Spanish research, olive pomace oil performs exceptionally well for high-temperature applications like frying, outperforming sunflower and high oleic sunflower oil for deep frying potatoes. This oil, a refined and affordable byproduct of the initial olive oil extraction, is perfectly safe for many culinary and household applications, though it is not a direct substitute for extra virgin olive oil.

Approximately 5-8% of oil remains in olive pulp after the initial pressing for extra virgin oil. This leftover material, known as pomace, is used to create a distinctly different product: olive pomace oil.

According to the North American Olive Oil Association, all olive oils are not created equal, and understanding this fundamental distinction is key to navigating the grocery store aisle and answering: What is the difference between olive oil and olive oil pomace? While both are derived from the olive fruit, their production processes, quality, and final applications vary significantly.

Contrary to common kitchen myths, light olive oil boasts a significantly higher smoke point than extra virgin, making it an excellent candidate for frying. This makes it a surprisingly suitable choice for high-heat cooking, including deep frying.

According to the North American Olive Oil Association, the term 'light' refers to an olive oil's flavor and color, not its calorie or fat content. Understanding this is key to grasping what is the difference between light olive oil and regular olive oil for your cooking needs.

According to the North American Olive Oil Association, all olive oils, whether extra virgin or light, are healthy, but their production methods and characteristics vary significantly. This key difference directly influences whether you can successfully substitute extra virgin olive oil for light olive oil in your cooking.

According to the North American Olive Oil Association, refined olive oils like extra light tasting olive oil have a higher smoke point than extra virgin varieties, making them perfectly suitable for cooking. You can, in fact, use extra light tasting olive oil for a wide range of cooking applications, especially those involving high heat, without fear of it burning or overpowering your food's flavor.

Despite its name, "extra light" refers to the oil's color and taste, not its caloric content. This highly refined oil undergoes processing to achieve a mild, neutral flavor and higher smoke point, making it exceptionally versatile for a range of cooking applications. But why use extra light olive oil over its more robust cousins?