We only consume extra virgin olive oil at home. Sometimes, my wife uses vegetable oil for deep frying stuff, and that’s very rare.
Let me begin with a warning and explain why I thought it would be a great way to teach my audience how to choose the right oil.
After all, it’s an everyday component of our lives.
Warning: Stay away from fake olive oil
According to research, up to 70% of olive oil in the USA is fake, which means 2/3 percent of olive oil in your local market is fake. Yes, it is shocking, and being a science student, I can tell you numbers don’t lie.
I buy extra virgin olive oil from Costco. If a Costco store is nearby, I highly recommend buying only the extra virgin oil. If you don’t have a Costco membership, I found the Costco brand on the Amazon store. Here is the link — Kirkland Extra virgin olive oil.
Here is an image from a recent research paper on emerging trends in olive oil fraud.
What is olive oil?
Basic Definition: Olive oil is a healthy liquid fat obtained from olives.
Researchers say the olive tree likely originated in ancient Mesopotamia and Persia and then spread to other parts of the world.
Olives have also been discovered in Egyptian tombs dating back to 2,000 years BC.
Micronutrients per tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of extra virgin olive oil
One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil:
Calories: 126
Fat: 14 grams
i) saturated fat: 2.3 grams
ii) Polyunsaturated fat: 0.97 gram
iii) Monounsaturated fat: 10.4 gram
Protein: 0 grams
Carbs: 0 grams
Fiber: 0 grams
Free from Cholesterol,sugar, sodium & gluten
Vitamin E: 13% of the daily value (DV)
Vitamin K: 7% of the DV
8 Expert Tips
- #8-Extra Virgin
- #7Cold Pressed
- #6Unfiltered
- #5Organic
- #4Country
Federal labeling laws require this, and it is typically found on the back label near the nutritional information and ingredient statement, but it is sometimes ink-jetted on the bottle.
Producers often blend oils from different countries and olive varieties to create a consistent or specific flavor profile.
I am not going to say buy from a particular country. One of my friends used to buy from a farmers market, and the gentleman was bringing olive oil from Spain, cold pressed and truly organic.
I say genuinely organic means when you sell it, not on a massive scale. For example, a mature tree would produce 15–20 liters per year, and let’s say you have 10 mature olive trees without any pesticides at your lands. The trees will bring at least 200 liters of olive oil per year.
A family of 3–4 consumes roughly 3 liters per month, and that’s 36 liters a year. So yes, the numbers make sense.
Why ONE country?
In the supermarket, pay attention to the labels; if you see the source of that bottle is based on multiple countries, let’s say Spain, Greece, and Sudan, on just one level, stay away.
Traceability is an issue here. I primarily buy from Costco, and if Costco is not available in your region, you can buy the same stuff on Amazon: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, which comes from Spain.
3 & 2 — Glass or plastic/bottles and sizes
Always prefer to buy in a glass bottle instead of the plastic one. I am saying for many reasons.
Olive oil reacts to oxygen, heat, and light in plastic in a different way than glass. That’s a different topic, but I highly suggest buying glass bottles.
Although the best-by date on your bottle may be long past, olive oil, for the best results, use the oil within two to three months of opening.
I also prefer glass because plastic leeches toxic chemicals into the environment as time passes. However, they are two different biodegradable materials in the long run.
1 — Best-by date and/or harvest date
Olive oil is best when fresh, but it should keep its goodness for about two years after bottling, depending on how it is handled. As a result, look for the best-by or harvest date.
The bottom line
In a nutshell, pay attention to what you are putting in your bodies and also what you are putting on your bodies.
Let me recall the 8expert tips to buy the best olive oil.
- Extra virgin
- Cold pressed
- One country source
- Prefer glass bottles
- unfiltered
- organic
- Best by-date
- bottle size is important
