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Which Olive Oil to Use for Cooking

By Rebecca Garcia

Here's the scenario, see if you relate to it. You read about people in the Mediterranean region having lower incidence of colon cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's; they also live longer and have beautiful skin – all thanks to olive oil.

Then, you find yourself in the supermarket aisle, staring at endless rows of olive oil in glass bottles, wondering which is the best to grab – extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, light olive oil, or extra light olive?

Don't you agree that selecting best olive oil for cooking can be mind-boggling? Well, I having used olive oil for the past 30 years in my cooking, I know olive oil pretty well.

First of all, olive oil is deprived from pressing the fruit, olive. And, depending on the characteristics of pressing, olive oils can be classified as extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil, and fine olive oil. Not to confuse you, I won't be talking about cold pressed, estate, or unfiltered grades.

If you're going to use olive oil in salads, vinaigrettes, marinades, dips or to enjoy them drizzled on crusty breads, then your choice of olive oil should be extra virgin. Extra virgin olive comes from the first cold pressing (with no chemicals used in extraction) and has less than 1 percent acidity. It's deeper green in color, has a richer flavor and aroma than other grades of olive oil. That explains why extra virgin oil is considered the best and highly prized by chefs around the world.

How do you know if you're buying the genuine stuff? Look for the IOOC (International Olive Oil Council) seal on the bottle. And, for the best extra virgin olive oil, purchase those made in Italy, Spain or Greece, which say 100 percent extra virgin olive oil. They may be pricier but they're worth your every cent.

Extra virgin olive oil has a relative low smoking point, thus it's unsuitable for sautéing or heavy frying. Instead, use light or pure olive oil for such cooking methods. Virgin olive oil is also a first-press oil but with a slightly higher acidity, between 1 to 2 percent and it can be safely heated up to 350 degrees.

If you're thinking that light and extra light virgin oil is figure-friendly, then you're misled. Light and extra light olive oil has the same calories as the regular olive oil. The word “light” refers only to flavor, not calories. Light olive oil has a higher smoke point than the other grades so it's also good for high-temperature frying.

Fino or fine olive oil is a blend of extra virgin and virgin olive oils, with an acidity of about 1.5 percent or less.

Don't forget that heat, air, light, and time are olive oil's natural foes so make sure you keep olive oil in a cool and dark place. They stay good for up to 6 months, in a dark-colored glass bottle.

To extend the life of olive oil (up to 1 year), you can also keep it, tightly sealed in the refrigerator. Not to worry if it congeals and becomes cloudy. Just let the bottle sit at room temperature for a while, the olive oil will return to its original state once it's warmed to room temperature.

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