Kalamata Extra Virgin
Olive Oil
...the secret of life...

What are the different types of Olive Oil, which is the best and how can you tell?

There are five factors that decide the quality of olive oil:

colour, aroma, flavour, (acidity and oxidation - but it's hard to spot these)

Virgin olive oil is natural olive oil. In other words it comes from olives that have not been spoilt or processed in any way during the production of the oil and so the final product is "as nature intended it to be".

Extra virgin olive oil is the finest olive oil you can get.  It is dark green in colour and can be consumed raw, thus making it suitable for pouring over salads, vegetables, pulses etc.

Refined olive oils are a light yellow colour and have no flavour. These oils have their acidity reduced during processing.

Pure olive oils are light green in colour as they are a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil.

Olive oil is best stored in a cool place where it is not exposed to sunlight.