Quality categories of olive oil and their application in professional and home cooking
It's been a good amount of time since olive oil is no longer an exotic item on the menu of Bulgarians - be it at home or at a wide variety of dining places from classy restaurants with original cuisine to the more unpretentious ones. Its application is wide. In addition to salads or pasta flavoring, olive oil is suitable for cooking, frying, adding to baked goods - even for decoration in the form of pearls or as an ice cream base.
Every professional chef chooses olive oil type and quality category depending on the application of the product and the final goal of the dish.
Here we've put up a list for you all with three quality categories of olive oil that are most widely used in cooking.
Extra virginolive oil Extra virgin olive oil is prepared using the cold pressing technology of olives. It is rich in useful ingredients and has high taste qualities. Its acidity by standard is below 0.8%. The smoking point is between 160 and 190ºС, at most 200ºС, and frying with it is not recommended. Extra virgin olive oil is mainly used cold, directly from the package. In this way, the olive extract preserves its useful ingredients and gives the dish its unique taste. To preserve its quality, it should be packaged in a dark glass or metal tin. Plastic tubes do not protect against sunlight and let air in, which increases the risk of rancidity processes and loss of taste and useful properties of the product. Extra virgin olive oil is best suited for flavoring salads, preparing sauces and dressings, finishing grilled fish and vegetables. Italians add it to both pizza and pasta.
The taste harmony is the most important factor when choosing extra virgin olive oil for professional flavoring. If you use one universal extra virgin olive oil, it is desirable that it fits into each dish without dominating it. Be careful with its spiciness.
Latzimas extra virgin olive oil is such a product. Use it to finish dishes or flavor an elegant salad and it will add herbal fresh tones and allow each dish component to express its flavor. It is characterized by low acidity and a light oily structure. Over the years, Latzimas extra virgin olive oil has won loyal fans and numerous international awards for quality. Its excellent taste and good price have lifted it up to the professional chefs' top choice.
Pomace
Pomace olive oil is produced by refining the olives by-products after the cold press extraction of extra virgin olive oil. About 5% percent virgin or extra virgin olive oil is always added to pomace.
Its extraction technology determines the culinary advantages of pomace - a high smoking point (over 230ºС) and a stable structure, making it difficult to burn. Therefore pomace can be used repeatedly when frying, baking and putting in baked goods.
Does "healthy" frying exist? Yes, when you use a quality oil. Pomace olive oil DEL'OR contains antioxidants and monounsaturated acids and is a universal product. An excellent alternative to extra virgin and virgin olive oil, which reduces costs for restaurateurs.
Premium selection olive oil
These olive oils are exceptional! They are obtained in limited quantities from old olive groves in small areas with a specific microclimate. Quality control is performed at all stages – from the growing and olives harvesting through the production to the bottling of the olive oil. Premium olives are distinguished by an extremely intense taste and aroma. The effect is almost like a perfume – just a few drops of premium extra virgin olive oil are enough to create a culinary masterpiece. Therefore, in cooking, this type of olive oil is mainly used to finish dishes.
The organic certified Rincon de la Subbetica is a real sensation. The most awarded olive oil in the history of Spain, it has over 400 gold medals and has been voted the best olive oil in the world for the last six years. It is produced from Hojiblanca olives in a controlled geographical region in Córdoba, Andalucia. It has a rich taste and aroma with grassy tones, herbs and citrus, and medium bitterness. Its taste is so intense that 3-4 drops can flavor an entire dish or salad. The effect is really impressive. The price of Rincon de la Subbetica is relatively high, but the drip application prolongs its use and makes its use a worthwhile investment.
Attention! Fake olive oils!
In the last year, many fake (imitation) olive oils have appeared on our market, labeled as extra virgin cold pressed olive oil. There is no ban on the sale and use of imitation products in Bulgaria, but they must be labeled as such.
Be careful when choosing extra virgin olive oil. Don't be fooled by the low price (that's one reason to think) or the pictures of pastoral olive groves on the packaging.
How can you tell an olive oil is fake?
Check the package for manufacturer, LOT number and importer indication. Missing this mandatory information is sure proof of fraud and is dangerous to use. There are two reasons - if one of your customers gets poisoned, these products are untraceable, the responsibility is yours and at your establishment. Second - upon inspection, this product is illegal and you are subject to a penalty.
If the information above is added, check online to see if the company is real and uncompromised. Our last copycat find was with a listed manufacturer. But when we checked his name, we discovered that the company was bottling fake olive oils in Greece and had been forced to withdraw all quantities from the market.
You can perform your own additional test just o be absolutely sure that the olive oil you choose is genuine. Put a small amount in the refrigerator for a while. Real olive oil freezes at +5ºС.
For greater security, choosing a supplier for your restaurant or household is of paramount importance. Olimport does a quality check at the entrance of every delivery, we have been working for years with small (mostly family) factories with a long history, proven over time. Always choose suppliers you trust for your restaurant and your household!
The most beneficial oil
Olive oil has been part of the Mediterranean diet typical of Greece, Italy and Spain for centuries. Before the introduction of sunflower and rapeseed oil to Bulgarian lands, our ancestors also used olive oil. Thanks to its high content of vitamins and polyphenols, antioxidants, saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, olive oil is the most beneficial fat possible for the body. Proof of this is the higher life expectancy and better health profile of people from the Mediterranean.
Did you know... * About 3 million tons of olive oil are consumed annually in the world; * The biggest olive oil producer in the world is Spain, followed by Greece and Italy; * The color of the olive oil is not an indicator of quality. Greener olive oils contain more chlorophyll, and yellower ones contain more carotene. That's why olive oil tasting glasses are made of blue opaque glass; * Olive oil is used for the preparation of medicinal products, cosmetic creams, soaps and others.
