Olive oil: which brand is better to buy
Which brand of olive oil is worth buying depends on the purpose of use. Italians, Spaniards, Greeks love crispy, still warm baguettes, oiled olives and chopped tomatoes. And modern salad recipes, roasting products over high heat also rarely do without this product.
The best brands of olive oil are labeled “extra virgin”
A dessert spoon of olive oil on an empty stomach in three months helps to cure stomach ulcers and gastritis, while a spoonful of sunflower in such a situation can provoke hepatic colic and exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases.
It is also added to lotions, used as a base agent for masks, hair and skin care products, and even applied to the body for a bronze tan. But most of the properties are associated with ingestion – these are the benefits of monounsaturated fats. Thanks to the oil, calcium is properly absorbed in the bone tissue, and the vessels become more elastic. Plus – vitamins E, K, D.
The ideal color of the product is from golden (yellow) to a pleasant greenish shade. The aroma should resemble spices, cut grass, it saturates and slightly bitter. Oddly enough, this is an indicator of the first pressing oils.
Selected brands of olive oil: what are the benefits?
The main thing is to understand why the product is being purchased. For frying, refined oil is suitable (carcinogens will not arise from natural “thick” substances). But for adding to cereals, salads on bread, flavored with the inscription “virgin” is suitable.
The labels contain phrases that hide a lot of useful information. It is important to remember that the bitterness of low-grade olive oils is sometimes chemically removed, which is not always a good thing.
Pay attention to:
- Extra virgin olive oil is an ideal first pressing product with low acidity (about 0,8 per 100 g), which is appreciated by lovers of healthy nutrition. Price – from 300 rubles. up to 1,5 thousand rubles per liter. Virgin olive oil and Ordinary virgin olive oil are inferior to it. This is also the highest category of first-pressing products, it differs only in acidity and physical processing.
- Refined vegetable fats are found labeled Refined olive oil, whose physical characteristics are appreciated by lovers of crisp.
- Olive-pomace oil is created according to the principle of combining pleasant (for producers) with useful when combining first pressing products and Refined olive oil. But nutritionists may not recognize such a union.
The lowest sample is considered to be the oil obtained by squeezing the prepared cake. A significant disadvantage: the use of chemicals in the production process and a low concentration of useful trace elements.
The method of storing the product remains interesting – in a dark, dry place. You can conduct an experiment: pour into a container and put it in the refrigerator. Quality oil will become thick and thick, which disappears at room temperature.
The world leaders in the production of olive oil are Spain, Italy, Greece and Tunisia. Moreover, an interesting fact: the Spanish production volumes exceed the Greek ones by three times, but at the same time they have only one fifth of the total production of Extra Virgin oil. Greece, with smaller volumes, produces more than 80% of Extra Virgin oil and offers an optimal price-quality ratio.
“Maestro de Oliva”, “Borges”, “Prize” – products tested by researchers, which confirm the title of “extra virgin”. If you are lucky, it is better to buy a bottle of “liquid gold” somewhere in the homeland of a delicious gift from the olive tree. If not, feel free to trust store goods (there would be a quality certificate).