Know Your Olive Oil
What should you actually look for?
Olive oils can differ in how they're made, how they taste and how they behave in the kitchen.
Terms like extra virgin, origin and variety can tell you something, but they don't tell you everything.
Here are a few things worth understanding.
Start with how you're using it.
The oil you want for one job isn't necessarily the oil you want for another.Everyday Cooking
When olive oil is part of the cooking process and you want something versatile and practical.Dressings
When the flavour of the oil becomes part of the dressing and the finished dish.Finishing
When the oil is added at the end and its flavour is much more noticeable.Dipping
When the oil itself is one of the main things you're tasting.Does single origin mean better?
Not necessarily.
A single origin or single variety oil can give you more information about where an oil comes from or the characteristics of a particular olive.
A blend can be deliberately created to achieve a particular flavour, balance or consistency.
Neither description alone tells you which oil is better for you.
What matters is what is in the bottle, how it was produced and whether its characteristics suit how you want to use it.
Try it for yourself.
You don't need to be an olive oil expert. Taste it and pay attention to a few simple things.
How strong is the flavour?
Is it mild or does it stand out?
What do you notice?
Fruity, grassy, bitter, peppery or something else?
Does it work with the food?
Try the same oil in cooking, in a dressing or simply with bread.
Do you actually like it?
Personal preference matters too.
There isn't one “best” olive oil.
A mild oil might make sense for everyday cooking, while a more distinctive oil might be exactly what you want over a finished dish.
Single variety, blended, mild or robust can all have their place.
The point is to understand what you're getting and whether it works for how you want to use it.