The bare-faced falsities surrounding olive oil cannot be understated. It is time to discover the truth behind olive oil and separate fact from fiction. Find out more in this article!
Where it all started
The olive tree is sacred in Ancient Greek. Champions of the Olympic Games were presented with a "kotinos" or olive branch. Olive oil was also used to be applied to athletes' bodies. Additionally, owning an olive grove symbolized wealth in ancient Greece.
The importance of olive trees can be clearly appreciated by looking at Greek mythology. Athens received an olive branch from Athena, the goddess of wisdom and guardian of Greek cities. She, therefore, inspired the naming of the city.
Olives are "our dear silvered wet nurse", according to Sophocles.
Since ancient times, it has been evident how olives are rooted in Greek mythology. Today, the myths that pertain to olive oil are misinformation.
Myth 1: Light Olive Oil Contains Lower Calories than Other Oils
Wrong! The calorific value of olive oil is the same for all grades.
The flavour is referred to as "light." "Light olive oil" is typically created by combining more flavorful oil with lower quality refined olive oil. Additionally, it could be referred to as "pure" olive oil or just olive oil. As opposed to this, a light-style extra virgin olive oil has a mild flavour.
Myth 2: Olive Oil cannot be used for Frying
This is one of the most widespread misunderstandings regarding olive oil and comes from ideas about the smoking point.
The temperature at which olive oil undergoes a chemical shift, turning "good" unsaturated fat into "bad" saturated fat, or trans-fat, is known as the "smoking point."
The misconception that olive oil cannot be used for frying stems from the perception that olive oil has a low smoking point and is, therefore, harmful to use and loses some of its health benefits during the chemical transformation.
The smoking point of olive oil is much higher than the temperature at which you would fry, and this frying temperature is insufficient to cause the chemical composition of the oil to change:
Pan frying: 248°F / 120°C
Deep Frying: 320°F-375°F / 160-180°C
The smoke point of extra virgin olive oil: 410°F / 210°C
Myth 3: Where the Olive Oil is Produced is Highly Important in Determining Quality
According to Dan Flynn, the UC Davis Olive Center's executive director, assuming an olive oil is wonderful only because it is from Italy or Greece, for example, is a mistake. According to him, "The origin in terms of the state or country is not that important from the standpoint of quality".
The quality of olive oil is determined by how they are produced and the quality of the olives used. It doesn't follow that just because olive oil has been produced somewhere for a while that it will always be excellent.
Myth 4: The Colour of Olive Oil can Determine its Quality
This is simply not true! The type of olives utilized and the timing of the harvest are the factors that affect the colour of Olive Oil, which does not correlate with quality.
Myth 6: All Olive Oils are the Same
Although it is simple to imagine that the quality of olive oil wouldn't differ significantly from brand to brand, this is a major worry when buying olive oils. Unfortunately, despite having 100% olive oil listed on the label, some oils may be mixed with other less expensive oils.
As with other food items, olive oil claims are not yet subject to the same tight regulations. As a result, many well-known brands have been found to fall short of the requirements for high-quality olive oils, according to a research study.
To guarantee the quality of the olive oil, ensure that you do thorough research on the brand and retailer you buy from.
Here at Avlaki Oils, our range of products, including organic extra virgin olive oil gift sets, soaps, and oils, are distilled and produced to the highest of qualities:
- Certified Extra Virgin, unfiltered, and from one specific terrain
- New bottles after grinding only the best quality olives
- Olives are only harvested in December when they are at their tastiest, ground within 24 hours, and unfiltered oils are bottled within weeks
- A certified laboratory by the International Olive Oil Council conducted thorough chemical and organoleptic testing to confirm the oil's 'extra virgin' status
- Produced on Lesvos Island, Greece, via organic farming
Browse our range of Olive Oil products in our online shop. Alongside our Olive Oils, we have also launched a brand new range of eco-friendly and registered vegan Olive Oil Soaps! Shop them online today!