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Fine Olive Oil Vs Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Which Is Better?

Why do we use olive oil ?

Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, or oleic acids, which can assist to lower blood cholesterol instead. Thus olive oil is a better choice than saturated fats.

For those suffering from constipation, take more olive oil often as it helps to lubricate the intestines and eliminate waste from our bodies, thereby curing your constipation.

Olive oil also provides natural antioxidants (called polyphenols) which help to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer.

Why are there so many kinds of olive oil ?

The flavor of olive oil varies - depending on the source, the variety of olive, the soil conditions, weather, etc. Some of the primarily source comes from Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey Portugal, Tunisia, Morocco, and California.

Some olive oils is from a single variety of oils, others, like most Italian oils, are blends of oils from different types of olives and different countries.

What is the difference among "Virgin", "Extra virgin", "Fine" and "refined" olive oil?

The oil produced from the first pressing of ripe olives is often the purest form, thus is called virgin. Extra virgin simply means an oil from the first pressing that is particularly low in acid - less than 1%.

Virgin olive oil may have as much as 4% acid. Fino or fine olive oil is a blend of extra virgin and virgin olive oils, with an acid content not above 3%.

After the first pressing, more oil is extracted in subsequent operations using a combination of pressure, heat, and chemical solvents. These refined oils may be blended with virgin oil to replace some of the flavor lost in the processing, and are sold as pure olive oil or just olive oil.

In some countries, you may also stumble upon light olive oil, which is not lower in calories, but which has been so finely filtered as to remove most of its color and fragrance (and flavor). It has a higher smoke point than the other types of olive oil, though, so it is well suited to high-temperature frying.

For the best qualities, we should go for the "Virgin" or "Extra virgin" olive oil because they have a fruity and rich flavour, wouldn't turn rancid so fast and are more easily digestible than refined oil.

For nutritional values, they are the same. However, lower acidity oils, such as extra virgin, tend to have more antioxidants.

Where is olive oil used?

Compared with other vegetable oils, only olive oil has enough flavour to replace butter and margarine for a healthier choice. Because of its pure state, extra virgin oil is often used as a dressing in salads or as a dip for breads.

Refined or light olive oil is suitable for deep frying. It may seem pricey to use it to fry food but the fact that such oil is four to five times more heat resistant than vegetable oil would mean you can reuse it to fry foods many more times before the oil begins to break down.

Will olive oil loses its nutritional value when heated ?

The smoke point of olive oil is 190 degree celsius which is higher than other vegetable oils (ranging from 130-150 degree celsius)

Olive oil, when heated at high temperature, will cause its alcohols and esters to evaporate. The esters are what make up the olive oil delicate taste and fragrance. This means heat will only change the flavor of olive oil but not its nutritional contents, and is still beneficial to health.

We recommend you use a cheaper olive oil like refined/light oil for frying and then add a more flavorful olive oil after cooking.

Will cooking in olive oil reduces the nutritional value of the food when heated ?

Heating food will break down its nutritional value. High heat such as frying is worse than moderate heat such as steaming, which is worse than eating vegetables raw. It is not the cooking oil per se, but the high heat of frying.

Most nutritionists recommend lightly steaming vegetables or eating them raw. A touch of a flavorsome olive oil added at the table will add taste and healthful anti-oxidants. This is what "Mediterranean diet" is about, which has been shown to help prevent coronary disease and have other health benefits.

Having said that, extra virgin olive oil will not turn bitter after heated. Nor will it affect the flavour of vegetables if used for stir-frying.

Is olive oil suitable for those suffering from high blood pressure or heart problems

Among the vegetable oils, olive oil ranks the highest in unsaturated fats but lowest in saturated fats and cholesterol. Thus it's the best choice for people with medical conditions like high blood pressure and heart problems.

Is olive oil suitable for kids?

Of course! In fact, the essential fatty acids found in extra virgin olive oil is similar to human breast milk. For example, linoleic acid present in every 100ml human milk is equivalent to linoleic acid content of 5ml (1/3 teaspoon) extra virgin olive oil.

Thus, it is an appropriate supply for essential fatty acids to infants older than 5 months.

Is it too pricey to use olive oil for cooking everyday?

Think of how olive oil benefits the overall health of your family in the long run, you'll find it worthwhile to invest in a better cooking oil.

Furthermore, olive oil expands when heated, thus just a little oil is enough each time to cook a meal.

It had been found that for a family of four who cook three meals daily, they used up only 1 litre of olive oil.

How to store Olive oil ?

Keep away from heat, ie the stove, to prevent ageing of the oil. Better to keep a large container in a dark, cool cupboard and pour a small amount into a dispenser for everyday use. The container can be made of plastic, stainless or tinted glass.

Alternatively, you can store oil in the refrigerator or freezer, which will greatly extend its shelf life. Do not worry about the crystallized waxes in the oil when chilled. All you have to do is to warm the oil back to room temperature to re-liquefy it.