The Essential Ingredient

Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is the oily juice of the olive, crushed from perfect fruit immediately after harvesting. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is processed without using heat, thus maintaining the originally fruit flavour, aroma and vitamins.

Olive oil is a bend of refined oil with some virgin oil, presenting a mild olive flavour.  It is an all purpose oil suitable for salad dressings, sauteing, stir-frying and deep-frying.

Background

Olive oil was central to the early economical development of the Mediterranean civilisations.  Ancient Greece produced more olive oil than its people could use and, from at least 6000 BC, also produced earthenware jars in which to store and trade the oil.  By trading oil for wheat, Greece set up a cycle of economic growth that contributed to the prosperity of the population.

As the Greeks and Phoenicians migrated westwards, they carried wheat and olive oil to Italy, France, Spain and North Africa.  The oil nourished the travellers and a patter of trading was established.

By the second century AD, Spain was exporting 1.5 millions gallons of olive oil to Rome, and today remains the world’s largest producer of olive oil.

Health Benefits

• The health benefits of olive oil have been clearly documented:
• It reduced total cholesterol without reducing the “good” HDL cholesterol. It contains oleic acid (an omega 9 fatty acid) making it an ideal substitute for polyunsaturated fats.
• It contains natural antioxidants (such as vitamin E).
• It tastes so good that you do not need to use a lot to enjoy the natural flavour, thus restricting kilojoule intake.

Olive oil has a lot in common with wine. Its flavour is influenced not only by the variety, but also the soil and climate, and time of harvest.  When tasting oils, look at the same characteristics as you do with wine; colour, nose and palate.

As a very general rule, the nearer to the equator, the more “rustic” the oil.  French oils tends to be sweet and fruity, oils from northern Spain are quite delicate, but the south produces big, peppery, rustic styles.  Italty produces many types, from the delicate Ligurian oils of the north, to the fruity oils of Tuscany and Umbria, to the bigger styles from Puglia in the south.

Australia’s burgeoning olive oil industry is also producing many different styles and regional characteristics will develop over time.

Choose and olive oil that suits both your palate and the use for which it is intended.  Strong, rustic oils complement strong flavours like garlic and chilli, while more delicate is are suited to salads, baking an for use as a table condiment.

Olive oil production varies annually, but the major producers remain in Europe, followed by North Africa and the Middle East.  Australia has the largest per capita consumption of olive oil outside the Mediterranean region, and the market for locally produced oils is flourishing.

Uses

• The uses of olive oil are limited only by your imagination.  It is suitable for all types of cooking, including baking and frying, but when eaten uncooked the individual characteristics really stand out.  Kitchen-wise, olive oil tips include:
• When using in a deep fryer with a temperature of 180C, it can be reused up to ten times as longs as it is filtered after each use.
• Add a few drops to steamed vegetables to bring out their natural flavours.
• Sweeten onions by soaking in olive oil for a few hours.
• Adding olive oil to dried beans, just before they are cooked,  makes them easier to digest.
• To soften meat for soups or boiling, spread with olive oil for a few hours before cooking.
• Olive oil is suitable for all types of baking, including cakes, pastries, biscuits and desserts.

Posted under Essential Ingredients, Featured, The Essential Guide.