Karen,
The highest quality olive oil is extra-virgin. Extra-light refers to a lighter olive oil taste, and usually, a lighter color. I notice less odor when cooking, also.
Here are some sites with informaton on olive oil characteristics:
http://www.chefdepot.net/oliveoilfacts.htm
http://whatscookingamerica.net/OliveOil.htm
http://www.bertolli.com/irlandese/qea-r ... IR&lang=EN
Love,
Wayne
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Thank you, Wayne -
I thought I had read about light olive oil before and decided against it but could not longer remember why I had decided that Extra Virgin is the only Olive Oil I want to eat. Here is a quote from your first link that explains it:
"What are the differences among extra virgin olive oil, ordinary olive oil, and "light" olive oils?
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. "Extra" is the highest grade for olive oil--the best you can buy. The virgin oil produced from the mechanical pressing described above may be called "extra" if it has less than 1% free oleic acid, and if it exhibits superior taste, color and aroma. Thus, the "extra" in extra virgin olive oil means "premium," or simply, "the best."
Olive Oil. Ordinary "olive oil" is actually a blended oil product. Olive oil producers start with low quality virgin olive oils. For these oils to be fit for consumption, they must be refined using mechanical, thermal and/or chemical processes. The resulting "refined olive oil" is largely colorless and tasteless. Before the resulting product is sold as "olive oil," the producer blends into the refined olive oil a percentage of quality virgin olive oil to provide color and taste.
"Light" or "Mild" Olive Oil. Light olive oil is a variation on ordinary olive oil. Producers of this product use a highly refined olive oil, and add less quality virgin oil than that typically used to blend olive oil. The only thing "light" about light olive oil is the taste and color; it has the same caloric and fat content as other oils."
IOW, Light Olive Oil is a low quality highly processed olive oil (highly refined using mechanical, thermal and/or chemical processes).
Love,
Karen
I thought I had read about light olive oil before and decided against it but could not longer remember why I had decided that Extra Virgin is the only Olive Oil I want to eat. Here is a quote from your first link that explains it:
"What are the differences among extra virgin olive oil, ordinary olive oil, and "light" olive oils?
Extra Virgin Olive Oil. "Extra" is the highest grade for olive oil--the best you can buy. The virgin oil produced from the mechanical pressing described above may be called "extra" if it has less than 1% free oleic acid, and if it exhibits superior taste, color and aroma. Thus, the "extra" in extra virgin olive oil means "premium," or simply, "the best."
Olive Oil. Ordinary "olive oil" is actually a blended oil product. Olive oil producers start with low quality virgin olive oils. For these oils to be fit for consumption, they must be refined using mechanical, thermal and/or chemical processes. The resulting "refined olive oil" is largely colorless and tasteless. Before the resulting product is sold as "olive oil," the producer blends into the refined olive oil a percentage of quality virgin olive oil to provide color and taste.
"Light" or "Mild" Olive Oil. Light olive oil is a variation on ordinary olive oil. Producers of this product use a highly refined olive oil, and add less quality virgin oil than that typically used to blend olive oil. The only thing "light" about light olive oil is the taste and color; it has the same caloric and fat content as other oils."
IOW, Light Olive Oil is a low quality highly processed olive oil (highly refined using mechanical, thermal and/or chemical processes).
Love,
Karen