According to an ancient legend, Athena Pallas created a beautiful olive tree, and olive oil, or, as it is called, Provencal oil, is her gift to the Athenians, healing and giving health and beauty. Since ancient times, this oil has been used in cooking and cosmetology, to care for hair, nails, skin ... therefore it was assigned the name "liquid gold". Choosing a real “jewel” for health among fakes is not an easy task.

What olive oil contains

Olive oil is made from freshly ripened olives by squeezing. Its composition necessarily includes such substances as:

• Monounsaturated fatty acids, the most useful of which is oleic acid, it is also known as Omega 9, in addition, there is linoleic acid, it is also Omega 6, palmitic fatty acid (another name is omega 3);
• vitamins - D, K, A, E;
• phytosterol, beta sitesterol (they are the ones that prevent the formation of bad cholesterol and are found exclusively in olive oil and not in any other).

Olive oil is made from fresh olives by squeezing

Video: how olive oil is produced

What is the use of the product?

Speaking of olive oil, it is worthwhile to dwell in more detail on the vitamins that make up its composition. Vitamin E is necessary for the body to maintain youthfulness and to combat premature aging, the formation of wrinkles, including facial wrinkles, gives smoothness and a healthy complexion to the skin, positively affects the hair and strengthens the nail plate, maintains vision. Other vitamins that make up the oil, namely A, K and D, help strengthen the muscles of the intestines and body tissues, including bone, which is very important when recovering from sprains or fractures, and is also useful for children.

Olive oil has many beneficial properties.

Video about its properties

Acids that are found in olive oil of the first and second grades, lead to the necessary balance of cholesterol in our blood. It is scientifically proven that people who added olive oil to food are several times less susceptible to diseases of the cardiovascular system than those who prefer sunflower or mustard oil. In addition, it is known that olive oil prevents the development of cancer and abnormalities of this kind, especially breast cancer in adult women. It is also used for prophylactic purposes in case of the threat of diabetes and obesity (here, be careful with the amount of oil used in food, the main thing is not to overdo it). Another undoubted plus of olive oil - it strengthens the immune system.

If you are on a diet, you will be pleased to know this fact: olive oil can reduce appetite, and also helps to accelerate metabolism - metabolism - in the body. It is necessary to mention that the oil also has some laxative properties, with its help you can win in the fight against such unpleasant diseases of the gastrointestinal tract as constipation. It is also important to note that olive oil softens the course of gastritis and helps with the healing of stomach ulcers and intestinal diseases.

Olive Oil - A Great Dressing For Dietary Salads

As for the use of oil for cosmetic purposes, they do massages, face and hand masks, soft body scrubs and nourishing creams. You can add it to ready-made products, some girls remove makeup from their faces and eyes with pure olive oil.

Olive Oil Helps Rejuvenate Your Skin

Olive oil does not cause allergic reactions and is perfect for nourishing dry or irritated skin, gives shine to hair, promotes its growth and prevents hair loss.

What is the product

Depending on the method of its production, several varieties of olive oil are distinguished, each of which differs in its quality level:

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the first cold-pressed oil made from fresh olives, in which all the beneficial properties are preserved to the maximum (in English, Virgin is natural). It is produced without heat treatment, chemicals are not added there. This type of oil should contain no more than 1% fatty acids, this is considered its quality indicator. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the most expensive variety on the market.
2. Virgin Olive Oil is a second-pressed oil; it also does not have chemicals in its composition, but it has fewer beneficial properties.
3. Olive Oil - the so-called cake oil, which is obtained from the extracts remaining from the stages of production of the first two varieties. Here, heat treatment is also present, and chemicals are added - gasoline and hexane. Such oil is not at all good for eating, but it is it that is taken into the industrial production of mayonnaise and mayonnaise sauces with additives. Sometimes a certain amount of oil of the first or second grade is added to the Olive Oil variety to improve palatability, but this is unlikely to add beneficial properties to oilcake.
4. Pure Olive Oil is also an unsuitable oil for food made from squeezed oils, there are already more chemical additives in it than in Olive Oil. The word Pure (in translation from English - softened, tender) indicates the absence of rapeseed and sunflower oil in this variety.
5. Pomace Oil is the same sort of squeeze, but without the addition of oils from the previous varieties. Such oil cannot be used for food at all, it usually goes to the cosmetic industry, on the basis of it soap, creams, decorative cosmetics, balms, masks and hair rinses are created.
6. Lampante Oil is an oil intended for industrial use only and is not consumed.

Extra virgin olive oil

If you have chosen and bought Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and you feel a slight bitterness in it, don’t think that you made a mistake - the right olive oil is always slightly bitter, even the most expensive oil of the highest grades, it depends on the substances that make up any olive oil.

According to the degree of purification, there are:

1. Refined olive oil (Refined mark) - purified from impurities by a chemical (alkaline) method, which does not have a specific smell and a pronounced taste inherent in olive oil. It is used for frying, as it does not give smoke and does not burn, unlike unrefined, it can be exposed to high temperatures.
2. Unrefined oil - natural, unrefined. It goes to cold or warm appetizers and salads, but it is better not to expose such an oil itself, harmful substances are formed in it.
3. Mixed oil (refined and unrefined together) - usually the manufacturer does not indicate in what proportion the oils are in the production of the mixture, such oils are sold at a lower price than pure refined, processed and pure unrefined oils.

Mixed Oil - A mixture of refined and unrefined olive oil

The highest quality olive oil is the first cold pressed oil. It is important that it retains all its properties only until heat treatment. Of course, you can fry other products on it, it gives them a great taste, but most of the beneficial properties are lost when it is heated.

How to apply different varieties correctly

For each type of oil, the consumer finds its application, we consider all possible options in the table.

Table: What are the different varieties of olive oil for?

Grade of oil	Salads	Frying	Therapeutic diet	Lure	Baby food	Cosmetic goals	Industrial, technical goals
✔	-	✔	✔	✔	✔	-
Virgin olive oil	✔	-	-	-	✔	✔	-
Olive oil	✔	-	-	-	-	✔	-
-	-	-	-	-	✔	-
Pomace oil	-	-	-	-	-	✔	✔
Refined oil	✔	✔	-	-	-	-	-
Unrefined oil	✔	-	-	-	-	✔	-
Mixed oil	✔	✔	-	-	-	✔	-
Tube (technical) oil	-	-	-	-	-	-	✔

Pure Olive Oil is ideal for cosmetic use.

How to know the best manufacturer

Spain takes the first place in the production of olive oil and its export, only in the second place is Italy, because the Italians themselves consume most of the produced olive oil, and moreover, they import olive oil from other countries into the country! This is how Italians go. The third major producer of olive oil is Greece, followed by Portugal, Turkey, the Balkans.

The best olive oil is considered to be that oil that has a long history, therefore, the highest quality olive oil is recognized to be produced in the Mediterranean countries - Italy and Spain, Greece, Tunisia.

The best olive oil is produced in Spain, Italy, Greece and Tunisia.

There are some differences in the process of oil production in different countries. In Spain and Italy, which we have already talked about, olive trees grow in beautiful conditions familiar to them, the olives are harvested manually, which means that only the best olives will get into our oil!

It is important to remember that, despite all its useful properties, olive oil is fat, it is high in calories. And if you follow a diet, be careful with it, it should not increase the total number of calories that you consume per day! Ideally, it is 2000 kcal.

How to choose quality olive oil in the store

• Try to purchase unrefined olive oil, as it contains more intact vitamins. Of course, it is not suitable for frying, but salad dressing is excellent.
• Choose expensive oil, in which case it certainly will not be mixed. Why such a high price? Only 1 liter of olive oil can be produced from 5 kg of olives, the consumption of raw materials is very large.
• Read the labeling carefully. If there are marks Bio (meets quality standards) or PDO (produced and bottled in a certain area) - this is an excellent oil.
• If there is a note Mix - this is a mixed oil, it does not have many useful properties.
• Pay attention to the date of bottling - olive oil, subject to storage conditions, remains fresh for up to 5 months.
• There are also IGP (produced in one country, bottled and packaged in another) and DOP (produced and bottled within one country) labels, preferably DOP.
• The oil should be in a glass container, preferably a dark green color that does not transmit light.
• The color of olive oil does not affect its taste, it is bright yellow, green or dark gold, depending on the region where the olives are grown and their degree of maturity.

Video: how to choose quality olive oil

Olive oil is a food product known for its healing properties and amazing taste. It has long been seriously competing with sunflower oil in Russian markets. But to appreciate this product, its taste and uniqueness, its retail value interferes.

However, given the huge range of oils on the shelves, the choice is difficult to make. Manufacturers are cunning, and sellers are trying to profitably sell the goods. How to choose olive oil in the store?

Varieties

Before choosing olive oil, you must first examine the species and their qualities. The taste and price of the purchased oil depends on this. There are many classifications of olive oil, but the simplest exists:

• Virgin– first-pressed oil;
• Refined– refined oil;
• Ppomace - repeated extraction of cake.

Selection criteria

Like any product, you can study and evaluate olive oil in detail according to its individual components and select the criteria:

• Label

The label is the “face” of olive oil, so you need to study it carefully. It should be not only beautiful, but also informative. The label indicates:

1. Manufacturer.
2. Importer.
3. Exporter.
4. Contact details.
5. Shelf life.

Remember: Quality oil is bottled on the manufacturer's premises.

Quality by color cannot be determined. The color of the product can be either light yellow or dark green. Sometimes the oil has even a brown tint. Color depends on the olives from which it is produced, namely on the degree of their maturity.

• Packaging

A bottle of dark color perfectly protects the oil from light. However, stainless steel packaging is the best option for storage, as it protects the oil from oxidation.

• Smell and taste

It is impossible to choose an excellent oil without tasting it. different bright taste. It is bitter, sweet, and sometimes sour. With unpleasant aftertaste and a watery consistency, oil should definitely not be taken.

Important: To avoid the possibility of buying a fake, you must see the bar code on the oil label:
  520-521 - Greek product; 800-839 - Italian; 840-849 - Spanish.

• Acidity

One of the important properties of the oil is free acidity. It indicates the amount of oxidizable organic acids contained. The lower the percentage of acidity, the more beneficial the oil. However, manufacturers have learned to artificially lower acidity, more often this refers to refined oil.

Is it genuine?

There is an easy way to verify the authenticity of the oil - put it in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. A white precipitate will confirm that the olive oil is genuine and the money was not wasted. Room temperature will return transparency to the oil.

Trick

When trying to sell a product and make a profit, manufacturers may not clearly indicate the category on the label. So, you should pay special attention to etiquette. For example, there are inscriptions that have only advertising meaning:

• “100% pure olive oil” - 100% pure olive oil. In fact, the oil with this inscription is of very low quality;
• “Light olive oil” is a light olive oil. There is no such oil;
• First cold press - the first cold spin. The word "first" simply should attract the attention of buyers, the oil is not pressed again.

Being in front of the counter, you need to decide what the product is purchased for. For salad, of course, you need to purchase the highest grade, refined olive oil is suitable exclusively for frying. Having chosen a good product, you can not only enjoy its taste, but also use it as a unique cosmetic product.

It is considered an essential component of most Italian dishes, and is also used as an excellent cosmetic product. A delicious and fragrant product from olive fruits is simply indispensable both for moisturizing the skin and for improving the condition of the hair.

But everything is not so simple - you need to know how to choose high-quality so that it really turns out to be effective and does not disappoint. Several options will help you make your choice.

How to Choose a Good Step One

First of all, understand what types of this product are. Oil labeled virgin is considered very high quality. This is a product that uses ancient technology to spin. Extra virgin marking is distinguished by first cold pressed oil. This is a maximum of quality with a pleasant fruity flavor and fully preserved benefits of olive. The bottle on which refined is written, as a rule, will contain a not very high-quality product. This is a clear, yellowish oil, which is made from medium quality raw materials, without olive notes in the taste and without nutrients in the composition. If there are no marks on the oil, this is a mixture of cold-pressed and oil. There is also a special view - Pomas. This is a product from the remains of olive fruits obtained after pressing.

It is considered not too high quality and is not popular in manufacturing countries. In Spain, the same type of oil is called orujo.

Second step

Once you remember the marking, you can move on to other ways of determining quality. First of all, it is color, smell and taste. How to choose by color? Try to find the product is dark yellow. This is considered a sign of high quality. In general, the color of the oil can be either dark brown or light green, with various shades. It is determined by the degree of maturity of the olives - the greenish oil is made from unripe fruits and slightly bitter, violet-blue tint is given by more ripe olives, and completely ripened give a rich yellow. Olives that have fallen to the ground give a black tint to the oil.

This variety will have a sweetish aftertaste. How to choose olive oil to taste? If you have the opportunity to taste the product, be aware that the taste should not be rancid or implicit. A quality oil will have a taste of spices, herbs, almonds, light bitterness. If you tasted walnut, cucumber, metal, earth, salt or mold, the product is definitely of poor quality and made with violations of technology. How to choose olive oil by smell? Almost the same as to taste. The main rule is that the smell should be pleasant, astringent and grassy. Foreign odors indicate a low level of quality or improper production technology. Oils with an unpleasant odor should be avoided both in cooking and in cosmetic procedures, since they will bring nothing but harm.

As a rule, in salads they add - unrefined cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil, the acidity (content of free fatty acids) of this oil is less than 1%. “Extra Virgin”, according to the standard, has an excellent taste, the aroma is slightly bitter, richly expressed - this is the best olive oil. Conventional unrefined olive oil (virgin olive oil) can have an acidity of up to 2%, it does not have the “Extra” prefix. If during the first extraction of olives olive oil comes out with an acidity of more than 2%, then the manufacturer can not call it virgin. Once this oil was used solely for technical purposes and was called "lamp" (lampante virgin olive oil). Now this oil is refined to improve palatability and reduce acidity, and this oil is suitable for frying, provided that the acidity< 2 %. Поэтому, если на этикетке написано «Refinado», то знайте- перед вами неудавшееся масло «Virgin», которое прошло повторную обработку - рафинацию.

Refined olive oil is used for frying. Manufacturers give different names to refined olive oil: “Pure olive oil”, “Rafined olive oil”, “Light olive oil”. Some manufacturers of olive oil deliberately mislead the consumer by pointing to the label of refined olive oil - “olive oil”. Of course, refined olive oil is inferior in taste and useful qualities, but this oil is better suited for frying due to the fact that it does not contain phospholipids, which are intensively oxidized even with slight heating with the formation of carcinogens.

"Pomace" - oil cake olive oil - is used only for greasing forms before baking, and the Spaniards call this oil "Orujo". Such olive oil is not worth buying. In Spain, the health authorities banned its widespread sale due to the fact that it found substances that provoke the development of cancer.

Read the label carefully, pay attention to the classification of oil and acidity (it should be no more than 3.3%). The label should also indicate the country of origin, the place and date of the oil bottling (ideally if the producer himself pours and packs olive oil). Also, the coordinates of the importing company should be indicated on the label. If only the production or bottling area is indicated on the label, then the quality of such an oil should be in doubt. Beware of buying oil spilled in a country where olive trees do not grow. This may mean that this oil has not passed quality control in their country.

On some olive oil labels you will see the designations IGP and DOP. IGP stands for "Indicazione Geografica Protetta" and means that one of the technological processes in the production of olive oil took place in a protected controlled area, which is officially represented on the world market. That is, the collection and squeezing process is strictly controlled on the spot - in Spain or Greece, but the cleaning and bottling was not carried out on the territory of the manufacturer.

DOP marking - “Denominazione d’ Origine Protetta ”means that collection, extraction, purification and bottling took place in the same area.

It so happens that manufacturers do not indicate the acidity of the oil, then focus on the description of the taste and smell provided by the manufacturer on the bottle. This will help you understand the quality of the oil and choose olive oil that suits your tastes. Indeed, the softer the taste and the grassy finish has olive oil, the less acidity it has (0.4-0.6%). And if his taste is sharp, intense, and the aroma is tart, then as a rule, the acidity of such an oil is likely to be 0.8-1%.

Pay attention to the date of bottling - after all, even the best oil eventually loses its quality and oxidizes, and the shelf life of olive oil is about a year. It is better to store it in a glass tightly closed container in a dark place.

You can determine the quality of olive oil at home as follows: put it in the refrigerator for fifteen minutes. If sediment and flakes have appeared, and the oil itself has thickened, then this is a quality olive oil. As soon as the oil warms up to its usual room temperature, everything will return to normal, and such a test will not affect the taste.

Another way to check the quality of olive oil: drip a little oil on your hand and rub - if the oil is well absorbed by the skin, then you have acquired high-quality olive oil.

Olive oil is a storehouse of nutrients. Ideal for salads and frying.

  Olive oil is increasingly used to prepare a variety of dishes in Russia. This is a very useful salad dressing. And also it gives a wonderful aroma in the marinade for fish or meat, etc.
  But, nevertheless, a number of questions remain. How to choose olive oil among the various varieties and brands presented in stores? What benefits does it bring to the body? Can I fry in olive oil? The answers to these questions can be found in this article.

What vitamins are found in olive oil

  This product is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. In addition, it is of plant origin and contains healthy “unsaturated” fats.
  What kind of vitamins in olive oil? This is a whole complex that includes vitamins A, D, E, B, B6, C, K.
  It includes the following minerals:

• phosphorus
• calcium
• potassium
• magnesium
• sodium

Among the fatty acids, oleic acid (about 70%), linoleic acid, useful fatty acids, omega 3, omega 9 are isolated.

Benefit and harm: what effect does the body have?

  Everyone knows that this is a storehouse of vitamins and nutrients. But many people ask: "olive oil is good and bad for the body." Of course, it is extremely useful for humans.
  It has a complex effect.

• Benefits for the cardiovascular system. Helps reduce blood cholesterol, resorption of plaques in blood vessels, normalizes blood pressure, lowers the risk of developing cardiovascular disease
• A positive effect on the digestive system. Favorably affects the stomach and intestines. It has anti-inflammatory effect. It is very useful for gastritis, as it suppresses the main pathogen - Helicobacter Pilori bacteria.
• Beneficial effect on the skin. The body's ability to heal wounds is increasing, and the condition of the skin as a whole is improving.

In addition to the above, olive oil strengthens bones, helps speed up metabolism, improves the functioning of the nervous and immune systems, and slows down all aging processes.
  And, of course, it has its contraindications.

• It can not be used in the presence of individual intolerance. It must also be discarded if a strict diet prescribed by a doctor is observed.
• This is a very high-calorie product, so you need to follow the measure. The norm is two to three tablespoons per day. For those who want to lose weight, no more than one tablespoon per day

Advice from nutritionists!  Olive oil will help to lose weight. Take one tablespoon in the morning on an empty stomach. After that, you can’t eat anything for half an hour. Adhering to such a system, you can lose extra pounds faster.

Is olive oil suitable for frying

  One can safely answer this question: "yes." It can be considered ideal in this regard. Olive oil has a high combustion temperature, which is not achieved with everyday cooking. Therefore, carcinogens are not secreted.
  Let's get acquainted with a number of features and consider the classification.

• Mark Extra Virgin. This product is suitable for short frying. For example, it can be used to fry finely chopped vegetables or instant foods
• It has no additional marks on the label. It is universal. It can be used both for long cooking and for quick frying.
• Romase Olive Oil (Refined). The most budget product. It turns out as a result of the second extraction. It can only be used for frying. In its pure form, there is practically no benefit

Important.  100 grams of olive oil contains 900 kcal. Accordingly, when frying, the dish becomes caloric.

Rating of the best olive oils for salads

  The homeland is considered to be the Mediterranean countries. It is mainly produced there. If you plan to go on vacation to the Mediterranean Sea, then by all means get the original olive oil.
  Italy. It is worth paying attention to the firms Rainery, Mate, Casa Rinaldi.
  Spain. We advise you to purchase the following brands: Borges, ITLV, Sucesores de Morales, Aceite de olliva Valderrama, Acorsa, Maestro de olive, 5Valles, Candor.
Greece. The following manufacturers are known: GreekElita, Ilida, Agia Triada, Terra Creta S.A., Mediterra S.A., Union of Agricultural Cooperatives of Sitia, Agrotiki S.A., Minerva.
  Turkey. We advise you to give preference to the manufacturer Antakya.
  The following grades of olive oil, tested by research, are presented on the shelves of Russian stores: Borges, Maestro de Oliva, Prize. These products comply with the Extra Virgin (first cold pressed) label indicated on the label.
  It is this olive oil that is considered the best for salads. Refueling from it will be most useful. Oils marked Extra Virgin and Virgin are also considered suitable for salads.

Olive oil is frozen in the refrigerator - what does it mean

Many people often store vegetable oil in the refrigerator. After some time, it is discovered that it was frozen, it became cloudier. This reaction occurs as a result of the freezing of the fats in the oil. In this situation, you can just get the bottle out of the refrigerator and heat it at room temperature. It will return to its previous form, while retaining all the beneficial substances.
  Attention!
  Do not heat under running hot water. Otherwise, it will lose some of its beneficial properties.
  Olive oil is preferably stored in a dark place, preferably at a temperature of 14-16 ° C. To do this, a closet or closet is suitable.

Spray olive oil - what a wonder

Most often, olive oil is bottled in regular bottles with screw caps. All that is required for use is simply to unscrew the lid and pour the right amount. But few people know that in addition to ordinary containers, in shops you can find olive oil - spray. It differs only in packaging. Instead of a conventional cap, a spray is used. It helps to use oil more economically and more closely control the amount used for salads or frying.

How to choose olive oil in the store: video

The choice should be carefully approached. Since different varieties are used for various purposes. Answers to questions on how to choose olive oil in the store, what you should pay attention to, can be found in the next video.