Olive Oil? 10 quick points ( today)!?

I was in a big gourmet market and they had about 20 olive oils.


There was 1 that was a beautiful green color.Does that mean anything? If so, what? Several of them were a golden color.


All were marked ';cold pressed'; and ';Extra Virgin';.


Which one do I pick?( and why). How do I pick the best one? Is the most expensive the best? What country produces the best and Why? I walked out confused and didn't buy any of them. That green one looked the best. Is it?Olive Oil? 10 quick points ( today)!?
Cold pressed extra virgin is the best. If the bottle says ';Pomace';, don't buy it. Pomace is oil thats extracted chemically from the olives. Cold press is a natural extraction process.





Its really hard to tell which would be the best without tasting them. Can you buy small bottles of different brands and try them? If you're willing to spend the money, that would be a good way to tell which one you like best.





I don't think the color is any indication of quality. And, I'm not quite sure what the difference is between unfiltered and filtered. Wikipedia has a great article about olive oil, it you're interested.Olive Oil? 10 quick points ( today)!?
Green is best, picked and made from unripened olives, green olive oil indicated early harvesting. A full bodied and flavorsome oil, I would recommend it for salads, dipping bread or drizzling use the golden colour for cooking with.
I hope the link below helps.
JC,





You appear to know much in this field already but to answer your specific questions:





Think of the wine industry, NO vine, place, harvest, colour, texture, taste and quality (whether perceived or real) are the same.There are many different breeds of Olives and Olive oils but it universally accepted and for good reason, that cold-pressed extra virgin oils are the most healthy. Not least that with cold pressing they retain their high level of antioxidants and thier fatty chains remain unaltered.





Wide-ranging soils in various territories will bring about certain differentiations but many farms will strive to differentiate through colour, texture and taste. The climate of course plays a big part.





You should pick the one that is agreeable to your pallet but experiment with different types (and with complementary foods and wines).





Each country will argue that theirs is best and like wine, some reputations demand higher prices even though we all from time to time experience a cheaper one which we like. One thing I will say is that many of the producers remain family concerns and great care and pride in taken within the production. Through gourmet markets, chef's endorsements, marketing and good produce, reputations and prices grow.


Like most produce Organic demands higher prices and many complex (mixed with other ingredients) additions are now hitting the shelves.





You mention the dark cups. This is standard for storage of Olive oil as it is susceptible to light. Always store in a dark place. Unfiltered speaks for itself in that it come straight from press into the barrel.





As I said you appear to be very much aware of the benefits of this wonder food but one thing for your readers....the olive tree lives longer than any other fruit tree. It is hardy, resilient to diseases and needs relatively little attention compared to all others. Those good old antioxidants!
The greener the oil, the more extra virgin it is. I don't really know what it means, but I do know that the ';top shelf'; olive oil they sell in the US is the stuff the Italians won't touch. You want good olive oil, you need to go to Sicily.





Anyway, the green oil is Extra Virgin. It's best for salad dressings and for dipping bread. The golden olive oil is better for cooking with, it has a slightly milder taste.
Here's something that no one else answered...the best Extra Virgin Olive Oil comes from Israel %26amp; Greece.





Pick the best one by emailing Rachael Ray or her daily show....She answers really quickly %26amp; she uses EVOO in EVERYTHING she makes!!!!!!





Bon Appetit
Extra viirgin olive oil! The greener the better...Healthyest..
Great information on this site for you...





http://www.ochef.com/137.htm
* Extra-virgin olive oil comes from cold pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil.


* Virgin olive oil has an acidity less than 2%, and judged to have a good taste. There can be no refined oil in virgin olive oil.


* Pure olive oil. Oils labeled as Pure olive oil or Olive oil are usually a blend of refined olive oil and one of the above two categories of virgin olive oil.


* Olive oil is a blend of virgin oil and refined oil, containing no more than 1.5% acidity. It commonly lacks a strong flavor.


* Olive-pomace oil is a blend of refined pomace olive oil and possibly some virgin oil. It is fit for consumption, but it may not be called olive oil. Olive-pomace oil is rarely found in a grocery store; it is often used for certain kinds of cooking in restaurants.


* Lampante oil is olive oil not used for consumption; lampante comes from olive oil's ancient use as fuel in oil-burning lamps. Lampante oil is mostly used in the industrial market.