Russians got acquainted with olive oil relatively recently, its categories, grade and selection criteria are far from known to many. This article is devoted to the topic of which brand of olive oil is better in a number of similar products. In addition to the rating review, the material provides information on the benefits of olive oil, methods of its production, quality standards and selection criteria.
The value of olive oil and its differences from others
A unique feature is that it grows on average for about 500 years and actively bears fruit throughout its life. Moreover, the age of some trees is 1500 and even 2000 years old. These are the ones that grow on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
Which brand is best used for salads is a very relevant question, especially on the eve of the vegetable season. Salads with it are very tasty and healthy. Olive oil contains many vitamins and useful substances. In particular, it contains vitamins A, E, D, K, as well as polyphenols. They have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, digestion and skin condition.
Compared to other types of oil, olive oil is highly digestible due to its high content of oleic acid, which is the main fatty acid in the human body.
Methods for obtaining olive oil
Raw olives are inedible and unsuitable for eating, as they have a very bitter taste. To get rid of it, the fruits are soaked in a special solution. Despite this, the best brands of olive oil often have a specific bitter smell and taste, which not everyone likes. This should be kept in mind when choosing an oil.
The manufacturing process of the product lies in the fact that the pitted fruits are well pressed, constantly mixing the mass. After this procedure, oil is squeezed out of the olives using special centrifuges for this. This is how the first pressing oil is obtained. It's always a little bitter.
The remaining cake is put into action again, extracting the oil of the second pressing. It is purified from impurities and bitterness with the help of chemical reagents, so it does not have bad smell and taste.
Types of oil by production methods
Depending on the marking used on the label, the oil differs in the way it is prepared. Possible markings: Virgin, Refined, Pomace .
- Virgin- This is a natural oil obtained by cold first pressing. Such a product retains all minerals and vitamins. It has only one minus - it has a limited shelf life. Mistresses all over the world are sure that Virgin is the best olive oil. The brand (reviews confirm this) is in great demand.
- Refined- also natural olive oil, but refined using physical and chemical processes. Refining takes place as follows: the fruits of the olive tree are ground and filled with a chemical solvent, an analogue of gasoline - hexane. Under its influence, oil is released from the fruit, which merges. Hexane residues are removed with water vapor, then with alkali. In the next step, the product is bleached and deodorized.
- Pomace– olive products obtained by secondary pressing using physical and chemical technologies.
virgin olive oil
- extra virgin olive oil- with this designation, the best brands of extra virgin olive oil, obtained by cold first pressing, are produced. The acidity of such oils does not exceed 0.8 / 100 grams.
- virgin olive oil- this is the marking for virgin oil, the acidity of which is not more than 2/100 grams. Such a product is obtained from olives that have been subjected to mechanical or physical stress, including temperature. Such oils were purified only with natural ingredients and certain technologies - water, filtration, decanting, centrifugation.
- Ordinary virgin olive oil- it is also a virgin oil, the acidity of which does not exceed 3.3 / 100 grams. In its manufacture, only natural (virgin) methods were used.
Refined olive oil
This oil is obtained from raw materials of the first extraction by refining. Its acidity is 0.3/100 grams. Such a product is obtained using physicochemical technologies aimed at eliminating odor, acidity and bitter taste. These oils are considered to be of lower quality.
pomace olive oil
- Olive-pomace oil- a product that consists of a mixture of refined and virgin oils. Its acidity is 1/100 grams. A similar characteristic applies to those oils that are obtained by pressing oil cake using solvents and other physical procedures.
- Refined olive-pomace oil— pomace oil obtained by refining with the use of physical and chemical technologies. The acidity of such a product is 0.3 / 100 grams.
Quality Criteria
- Acidity- means the level of oleic acid content in 100 grams of the product. On taste qualities this indicator is not affected. It is believed that the lower the acidity, the higher the quality of the oil.
- Color. Shades of oil can be in the yellow and green ranges - depending on the variety of fruits, their maturity and processing method.
- Aroma. The oil that long time exposed to sunlight, loses its aroma. Normally, its odor is determined by a number of volatile substances - alcohol, hydrocarbon, aldehyde, ethers.
- Taste. At natural oil the taste is very rich, intense, bittersweet or salty. A bad sign is a rancid taste, watery, acetic or metallic.
- Best before date. The parameter that you should pay attention to here is the date of bottling. The "fresher" it is, the better the quality of the product will be. That is why olive oil is never bought in reserve. Store bottles with it in dark cabinets in dark glass containers. The shelf life of the oil should not exceed 1 year.
Another indicative parameter of real olive oil is that when it is stored in the refrigerator, it falls to the bottom in large flakes. Do not think that the product has gone bad, as this is very correct. After the oil warms up, the flakes will disappear. However, experts do not recommend storing it in the refrigerator. Preference should be given to dry shaded places.
The bottle cap should be very tight. Very important: oil should be stored in glass or metal jars. A real quality product is never sold in plastic, as it is able to break down upper layer polyethylene, as a result of which they get into food. The same, by the way, applies to other types. vegetable oils. The best brands of olive oil are unrefined, this should be kept in mind first of all when buying this product.
Organoleptic quality assessment
When tasting oils, professionals note that they should taste like fresh olives. In addition, the smell of freshly cut grass, plucked lettuce leaves is possible. Even smells of chocolate and anise shades are allowed.
In order to understand the richness of the taste of this product, it is heated to a temperature of +200 ° C, after which it is applied to a glass plate with a thin layer and rubbed. The best olive oil (the brand does not matter here) corresponds to the above characteristics.
When evaluating the color, the oil is poured into a glass in an amount of 50 ml and viewed through reflected light on a white background. It is important that not only color is evaluated, but also various color shades. It is believed that the greener the product, the higher its quality. In fact, this is only partly true, since the color of the oil depends on the variety of fruits from which it is produced.
Therefore, it is worth focusing here on a set of indicators: color, smell, taste. If the oil has yellow, but at the same time it smells fragrant and has the right taste, this suggests that, most likely, black olives were used to make the product, and not olives.
Olive oil rating
It is not so easy to answer unequivocally the question of which brand of olive oil is better. Specialists conduct complex studies to answer this question. Here are the results of one of them. In 2014, the well-known agency for assessing the quality of products NITs NPE "Test" conducted a comparative study of 11 famous brands extra virgin olive oil. When evaluating products, parameters such as:
- brand authenticity;
- compliance with the declared composition;
- absorption of ultraviolet;
- organoleptic evaluation of properties.
The best olive oil (brand, photos are specially presented in this article) must meet all of the above requirements. The study involved brands such as: Mana Gea, Premium, Borges, Maestro de Oliva, Hellas, ABEA, Costa d'Oro, ITLV, Monini, Oscar and Ravika.
The rating "excellent" was earned by oils Mana Gea, "Premium", Borges. Maestro de Oliva lost to the leaders, earning a "good" rating. All of these products fully comply with the Extra Virgin label. Therefore, the answer to the question of which brand of olive oil is better in this series is obvious: it is the one that in all respects corresponds to its category.
The remaining 7 brands also turned out to be acceptable olive oils, however, they lost to the leaders of the rating in a number of parameters, as a result of which their rating is "poor". This means they are not labeled as Extra Virgin.
Choosing the right oil
It should be noted that answering the question which brand of olive oil is best does not explain whether this oil is suitable for solving certain culinary tasks. So, for example, experienced chefs keep several varieties of olive oil on their table at once. We will determine which of them is most suitable for certain dishes.
So, the best olive oil for salads is extra virgin olive oil. It will also be an excellent "companion" to pizza, pasta, milk porridge and other dishes that allow you to feel the taste of the product.
However, it is absolutely not suitable for frying. What brand of olive oil is best for stewing, baking and frying? Refined oil. The fact is that Extra Virgin is rich in minerals, which decompose during frying, forming carcinogens and smoke. Refined oil is purified from these substances, so it can be safely used for frying and cooking other dishes associated with high-temperature processing.
Very valuable in its composition and unique in properties olive oil obtained from the fruit of the European olive. And for countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain, this product is a matter of national pride. It is also not surprising that there is no matter how open rivalry and a long-standing dispute between them, which makes many wonder - so, after all, which country's oil is better?
In addition, it is necessary to take into account the fact that in addition to the disputing countries, olive oil is also produced in Turkey, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Portugal, the USA and France. And even though the latter account for a much smaller percentage of the total oil production in the world, they still have the right to claim the palm for the quality of olive oil.
In order not to offend any of the main producing countries, we will consider the features of their products in order of the amount of oil consumed per capita per year.
Greek olive oil
It is the Greeks who are the undisputed leaders in the consumption of olive oil - about 24 kg per year, on average, each inhabitant of Greece consumes. But in terms of the amount of oil produced, they are in third place after Spain and Italy. This is due to the fact that the oil in this Mediterranean country is made mainly for domestic use. They do it, but do not produce, and with the help of, so to speak, semi-handicraft methods and secrets that are passed down from generation to generation.
Maybe thanks to these old-fashioned ways, Greek olive oil is brighter and richer in taste. Also, its taste is distinguished by the presence of honey notes and some fruity aromas.
It is in the Greek provinces - Kalamata, Laconia, Kranidi - the most favorable climate for growing olives, which thousands of families are happily doing in their households. And conservative methods make it possible to do the most a large number of(approx. 80%) oils exactly first cold spin.
Spanish olive oil
The Spaniards are in second place in terms of oil consumption per capita - about 14 kg per year and in first place in terms of its production. And not only! The production itself is equipped and adjusted, as they say, with the latest technology. All work is automated, which allows least cost release olive oil.
As far as taste characteristics Spanish oils, then it has a harsh aroma and a bitter, as if peppery taste. We can say that it more than others resembles the taste of the olives themselves, and for this the Spaniards often mix several varieties at once, but never with other vegetable oils.
Italian olive oil
In Italy every year each resident consumes an average of about 13 kg. olive oils.
And fully mechanized labor allows this country to hold the third place in the production of "liquid gold" in the world. Which, in other matters, does not exclude the existence of private farms that produce it by hand. The quality, respectively, and the price of such oil, as a rule, are much higher.
Soft, slightly sweet in taste, with a barely perceptible smell of herbs - this is a bouquet Italian olive oils. In addition, it is here that oil is produced with the addition of various spices and spices - oregano, chili, rosemary, garlic, etc.
So what is the best oil? The answer is unequivocal - 100% natural, but otherwise you need to rely on your own taste.
Applications for the next season have now begun - it will close in February. To participate, it is not necessary to come to New York - it is enough to send three bottles of oil to America, and a competent jury will evaluate it. There are usually many winners. the best producers gold and silver medals are awarded. The oils that receive the highest ratings from the jury members receive the “Best in Class” award - the best in their class. This year, 12 European oils and six from other countries were recognized as “best in class”: Argentina, South Africa, Chile and Australia.
We tell you about the European winners - now you know what, in addition to wine and cheese, to bring from the trip.
Domenica Fiore Olio Riserva,Italy
Domenica Fiore is located in the Italian region of Umbria, in the beautiful little town of Orvieto. The company is engaged in the production of not only oil, but also tomato paste, and honey. Products are often celebrated at exhibitions and competitions.
Other manufacturer's oils received gold and silver awards at the competition.
M'Olive Oil,Croatia
This year's competition was a success for Croatian producers, with 22 olive oil brands receiving awards in total. OPG Makek oil from Rovinj, a picturesque town on the border with Italy, was recognized as “Best in Class”.
Oro del Desierto Organic Coupage,Spain
This oil is produced in Andalusia, one of the most gastronomically rich and developed regions of Spain. Oro del Desierto was ranked second among the best organic extra virgin olive oils in the world and third overall.
MIMI Coratina,Italy
Mimi is located in Modugno, Apulian, a small town near Bari. Puglia is one of the main suppliers of olives and oils for Italy and other countries. This region is even called the "olive paradise" - groves cover almost the entire flat part of Puglia and reach the Adriatic Sea.
Fonte di Foiano Grand Cru,Italy
Unlike Domenica Fiore, Fonte di Foiano deals exclusively with oils. The company is based in Tuscany, in the city of Livorno. Travelers are always welcome here for tastings.
La Cultivada Hojiblanca,Spain
La Cultivada Hojiblanca oil, spicy and slightly bitter, comes from Andalusia. This is not surprising - olives are considered the "green gold" of Andalusia. The Spanish poet Antonio Machado even compared the character of the native inhabitant of this region with olive tree- They are both hardy and unpretentious.
Castillo de Canena Biodynamic Picual,Spain
Castillo de Canena is another manufacturer from Spanish Andalusia on the list of the best. The bottle is marked "biodynamic" - this method of production involves the preservation of the maximum useful properties. Notes of mustard, herbs and artichoke can be discerned in the bouquet.
pago deQuiros,Spain
Pago de Quiros is a certified organic variety from Toledo.
This city is located in central Spain. Old city Toledo is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Although the olive groves in the community of Castile-La Mancha are still slightly smaller than in Andalusia, local olive oil is known far beyond the borders of Spain. It even hosts an olive festival - at the end of April, in the small town of Mora del Toledo.
VergalFrantoio, Croatia
The Vergal olive groves are located near Istria. The award went to francoyo olive oil, which is also widely distributed in Italy. Frantoyo olives are used to make the famous spicy Tuscan oil.
Dehesa de la Sabina, Spain
Andalusia is back on the list. Dehesa de la Sabina oil is produced by a small company, La Olivilla. At La Olivilla they appreciate individual approach- on the official website of the company you can not only read about the oil, but also.
TreFort, Italy
This Italian oil is made near Lake Garda. The company was opened by the enterprising Paolo Bonomelli, who in 2001 launched a new brand and began producing TreFort oil, which has won many international awards.
noviembre, Spain
Finca Las Manillas is based in Arquillos, Andalusia. It was established in 1878.
Noviembre is made from picual olives, a variety with high content oils. The variety got its name because of the pointed shape of the fruit (“pico” - top). It is believed that picual is an ideal variety for the production of butter.
Which brand of olive oil to buy depends on the purpose of use. Italians, Spaniards, Greeks love crispy, still warm baguettes drizzled with olive oil and chopped tomatoes. And modern salad recipes, frying foods 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 oil in such a situation can provoke hepatic colic and exacerbate gastrointestinal diseases.
It is also added to lotions, used as a base for masks, hair and skin care products, even applied to the body for a bronze tan. But most of the properties are associated with ingestion - this is the benefit 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 tint. The aroma should resemble spices, cut grass, it saturates and is slightly bitter. Oddly enough, this is an indicator of virgin oils.
Selected brands of olive oil: what are the benefits?
The main thing is to understand why the goods are purchased. Refined oil is suitable for frying (carcinogens from natural “thick” substances will not occur). But for adding to cereals, salads on bread, a fragrant one with the inscription "virgin" is suitable.
The labels contain phrases that hide a lot useful information. It is important to remember that the bitterness of low-grade varieties of olive oil is sometimes eliminated by chemical means, which is not always good.
Notes to 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 connoisseurs proper nutrition. Price - from 300 rubles. up to 1.5 thousand rubles per liter. It is inferior to Virgin olive oil and Ordinary virgin olive oil. This is also the highest category of first pressing products, it differs only in acidity and physical processing.
- Refined vegetable fats are found marked Refined olive oil, whose physical characteristics positively appreciated by lovers of crispy crust.
- Olive-pomace oil is created on the principle of combining pleasant (for producers) with useful when combining virgin olive oil and refined olive oil. But nutritionists may not recognize such an alliance.
The lowest sample is considered to be the oil obtained by squeezing the finished cake. Significant disadvantage: use chemical substances in the production process and a low concentration of useful trace elements.
The storage method of the product remains interesting - in a dark, dry place. You can conduct an experiment: pour into a container and put in the refrigerator. Quality oil will become dense and thick, which disappears at room temperature.
Aragan oil
Aragana (argan) oil is the most expensive oil in the world. The oil obtained from the fruits of the aragana tree is the rarest and most expensive in the world. It is comparable in price to black caviar, truffles and other elite products - a 50 ml bottle costs about 2000 rubles. The high cost of this oil is due to the fact that its production is a very laborious process that is done by hand. The aragan tree grows only in one place on the planet - in the central-western part of Morocco.
According to biologists, there are about 2 million trees on an area of about 8000 m2, the life span of which can be from 150 to 300 years. Evergreen araganas reach 15 meters in height. Their fruits, similar to small yellow plums, are covered with a strong shell that is 16 times harder than a nutshell. These desert trees only produce once every two years. To date, the Aragans fully support the life of the Berber tribe, which numbers 2 million people.
The tree of Life
The "Tree of Life" provides not only valuable oil, but also material for construction, medications, livestock feed and human food. Ripe fruits are harvested and dried in the sun, after which the Berber women break their shells with stones and take out the seeds from them. Before squeezing the edible oil, they are fried a little over low heat to give the product a refined nutty flavor. Unroasted seeds are used for the preparation of cosmetic oil, and it has no smell.
The oil is squeezed out by mechanical presses, then it is filtered through a special paper. According to experts, about 350,000 tons of aragana fruit seeds are harvested in Morocco every year and about 12 million liters of oil are produced. Compared to similar products, this is quite a bit. Thus, the annual production of olive oil is approximately 3 billion liters, and sunflower - 9 billion liters.
Unique healing properties
Aragana oil, the most expensive oil in the world, has gained popularity due to its unique healing properties. It has a moisturizing, regenerating and rejuvenating effect. Since ancient times, it has been used to treat various skin ailments: neurodermatitis, sunburn, lichen and other diseases. The specific composition of aragana oil allows it to be used not only in cosmetic and therapeutic purposes, but also in cooking for frying and salad dressing.
