Encounter Olives

Only the very best olive oils in the world can be labeled ‘extra virgin.’

But what does that mean?

Unfortunately, the answer is, ‘It depends.’

The International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) sets the standards by which olive oil is judged Until 1995, ‘EXTRA VIRGIN’ meant that the olive oil was mechanically produced (pressed, rather than chemically refined), and had an oleic acid (or free fatty acid) level under 0.8 percent.

‘VIRGIN’ olive oil is mechanically produced, but with acidity of between 0.8% and 3%. Other grades follow, concluding with lampante, or ‘lamp oil.’

Few quality producers bother to market any oil that isn’t extra virgin. In 1995, the IOOC added a new requirement for extra virgin status: the oil must taste good and meet “organoleptic” standards. Oils are put through a blind organoleptic analysis by a panel of experts.

They are rated on a 9-point scale, and must score 6.5 or higher to receive ‘extra virgin’ designation. You may have noticed that you can buy olive oil in the supermarket that is labeled as ‘Pure’ or ‘Original’ or ‘Light’ or the like. These mean that the oil has been refined using chemicals, rather than pressed.

They are like corn, safflower, peanut, or canola oils: they’re great for sautéing, but they are largely without flavor.

Olive oil is one of only two oils that come from fruit and that can be used without further processing (avocado oil is the other). The olive press is considered to be as old as the wine press.

Olive trees were first cultivated in ancient Syria, where they were valued for their fruit, but above all for their tremendously versatile oil, which was used for cooking, lighting, and in medicine.

The trees spread throughout ancient world, and are found today all around the Mediterranean, as well as in similar climates worldwide. There are about 900 different varieties of olive tree.

Much like grapes, olive varietals fall into three categories, according to the best use of the fruit they produce: eating olives, cooking oil olives, or condiment-quality oil olives.

Many people are confused by the difference between the latter two categories. Olive oil can be used in place of products such as butter, lard, or corn oil in cooking. Condiment oils, on the other hand, are used to make dressings, to dip bread, or drizzled over pastas, vegetables, or grilled foods.

The oil we make, like other good olive oils, is in the condiment category. Our olive trees were chosen because of the incredible oil that comes from their fruit.

The content of oleic acid in Australian olive oil varies significantly from medium levels in warmer climates to extremely high levels in oils produced from the cooler regions of Australia. In scientific studies on oil quality, levels of oleic acid, the fatty acid named after olive oil (olea), have been found to range from 55% to exceptional levels of 85%, perhaps higher than most northern hemisphere oils can achieve. Mono-unsaturated oleic acid is known to have health benefits.

The greatest exponent of monounsaturated fat is olive oil, and it is a prime component of the Mediterranean Diet. Olive oil is a natural juice which preserves the taste, aroma, vitamins and properties of the olive fruit. Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that can be consumed as it is – freshly pressed from the fruit.

The beneficial health effects of olive oil are due to both its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and its high content of antioxidative substances. Studies have shown that olive oil offers protection against heart disease by controlling LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the “good” cholesterol) levels.  No other naturally produced oil has as large an amount of monounsaturated as olive oil -mainly oleic acid.

Olive oil is very well tolerated by the stomach. In fact, olive oil’s protective function has a beneficial effect on ulcers and gastritis. Olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones much more naturally than prescribed drugs. Consequently, it lowers the incidence of gallstone formation.

Olive oil and heart disease

Studies have shown that people who consumed 25 milliliters (mL) – about 2 tablespoons – of virgin olive oil daily for 1 week showed less oxidation of LDL cholesterol and higher levels of antioxidant compounds, particularly phenols, in the blood.

But while all types of olive oil are sources of monounsaturated fat, EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil, from the first pressing of the olives, contains higher levels of antioxidants, particularly vitamin E and phenols, because it is less processed.

Olive oil is clearly one of the good oils, one of the healing fats. Most people do quite well with it since it does not upset the critical omega 6 to omega 3 ratio and most of the fatty acids in olive oil are actually an omega-9 oil which is monounsaturated.

Olive oil and colon cancer

Spanish researchers suggest that including olive oil in your diet may also offer benefits in terms of colon cancer prevention. Their study results showed that rats fed diet supplemented with olive oil had a lower risk of colon cancer than those fed safflower oil-supplemented diets. In fact, the rats that received olive oil had colon cancer rates almost as low as those fed fish oil, which several studies have already linked to a reduction in colon cancer risk.

Types of olive oil

Generally, olive oil is extracted by pressing or crushing olives. Olive oil comes in different varieties, depending on the amount of processing involved. Varieties include:

Extra virgin – considered the best, least processed, comprising the oil from the first pressing of the olives.

Virgin – from the second pressing.

Pure – undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining.

Extra light – undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavour.

When buying olive oil you will want to obtain a high quality EXTRA VIRGIN oil. The oil that comes from the first “pressing” of the olive, is extracted without using heat (a cold press) or chemicals, and has no “off” flavors is awarded “extra virgin” status. The less the olive oil is handled, the closer to its natural state, the better the oil. If the olive oil meets all the criteria, it can be designated as “extra virgin”.

What is pure and light olive oil? “Pure” olive oil is made by adding a little extra virgin olive oil to refined olive oil. It is a lesser grade oil that is also labeled as just “olive oil” in the U.S.

“Light” olive oil is a marketing concept and not a classification of olive oil grades. It is completely unregulated by any certification organizations and therefore has no real precedent to what its content should be. Sometimes, the olive oil is cut with other vegetable oils.

After varietal differences, choosing when to harvest is the biggest determinant of the flavor of the oil. Olives ripen in the fall and winter, changing in color from green to a purple so deep that it is called black.

The oil produced changes too, according to the ripeness of the olive. Early- harvest olives (usually picked between late April and early June) produce richer, fruitier oils, often with a peppery finish.

Olives picked later in the season (often so late that they aren’t picked at all, but are allowed to fall into nets or onto the ground) produce mild oils with little varietal character.

They also produce much more oil than early-harvest olives, which has led some unscrupulous producers to mix leaves in with late-harvest olives in an effort to produce oil with the green color associated with more valuable, early-harvest oils.

Generally, the best oils are made from olives harvested when they are between one-third and two-thirds black (normally between mid-May and early June).

Despite countless efforts to develop mechanized harvesting methods, olives for the best olive oils are almost always harvested by hand, which accounts for roughly half of the farming cost.

Although there are exceptions, most olive oils are blends of several varieties, and all the varieties for a particular oil tend to be planted, picked, and crushed together in what is called a field blend.

Occupying a special place in the western psyche, the history of this ancient plant and its produce is tightly entwined with our own. From the dimmest mists of our collective memory the olive has symbolised peace, prosperity, goodwill and wisdom.

According to Ancient Greek legend, the first olive tree was planted atop the Acropolis by the goddess Athena, becoming central to the Athenian culture.

Its oil was used in cooking, beauty care, religious rites, medicine and lamps. In the first Olympics, athletes even competed for generous prizes of olive oil!

Today, the virtues of olive oil are lauded for helping to prevent heart disease – even the leaves are claimed to have healing properties.

Throughout time the fruit has played a central role in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern diets, now enthusiastically adopted here in Australia.

The olive is in our language: we speak of extending an olive branch as an invitation to reconciliation.

For further information about EOA please use the contact us facility on this website