"Good quality" olive oil

[Anonymous]

Often recipes call specifically for "high quality" olive oil. So, my first question is what does that mean? That is, do I need to buy it in the South of France, or is it possible to get it at Safeway or Whole Foods? Any brand recs? Other than buying something expensive, I have no idea how to tell what's actually better than the other 20 brands on the shelf. Is there a way to tell what might be good by reading the label or looking at the bottle or some other trick other than knowing a specific brand?

And second, does it really matter?

[Anonymous]

All you will ever want to know.

http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/olive_oil_hunter.htm

Source fresh pressed olive oil, fall is still good, spring will be pressed soon.

http://www.sciabica.com/products/Sevillano-Variety-Fall-Harvest.html

[Anonymous]

Are you concerned about taste or health?

In terms of health, cold pressed is best, and I think first pressed though not 100% sure on that one. And you may want to consider organic.

In terms of taste, that is partially personal preference and will depend on where the oil is from. I think first pressed has better taste, so it is used for salads or finishing as dish; whereas you don't have to use the good stuff for cooking because the taste will diminish when cooked.

[Anonymous]

One of the health benefits of fresh olive oil is a chemical that is like ibuprofen. It is called oleocanthal. It has a short shelf life. Olive oils that have it pepper the back of the throat. If your oil is not fresh, you don't get that health benefit.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050906075427.htm

ScienceDaily (Sep. 6, 2005) — A naturally occurring chemical found in extra-virgin olive oils is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent, report scientists from the Monell Chemical Senses Center and collaborators at the University of Pennsylvania, The University of the Sciences in Philadelphia, and Firmenich, Inc.
Named oleocanthal by the researchers, the compound inhibits activity of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes, a pharmacological action shared by ibuprofen.
The finding is significant because inflammation increasingly is believed to play a key role in a variety of chronic diseases. "Some of the health-related effects of the Mediterranean diet may be due to the natural anti-COX activity of oleocanthal from premium olive oils," observes Monell biologist Gary Beauchamp, PhD.
The findings are described in the September 1 issue of the journal Nature.
The scientists were led to the discovery by the serendipitous observation that fresh extra-virgin olive oil irritates the back of the throat in a unique and unusual manner. "I had considerable experience swallowing and being stung in the throat by ibuprofen from previous studies on its sensory properties," explains Beauchamp. "So when I tasted newly-pressed olive oil while attending a meeting on molecular gastronomy in Sicily, I was startled to notice that the throat sensations were virtually identical."
Taking their lead from the cues provided by olive oil's throaty bite, the scientists systematically evaluated the sensory properties of an unnamed chemical compound thought to be responsible for the throat irritating property of premium olive oils. When results confirmed that the irritating intensity of a given extra-virgin olive oil was directly related to how much of the chemical it contained, the researchers named the compound oleocanthal (oleo=olive; canth=sting; al=aldehyde).
To rule out the possibility that any other compound was involved, chemists at Monell and Penn created a synthetic form of oleocanthal identical in all respects to that found naturally in olive oil, and showed that it produced exactly the same throat irritation. Co-author Amos Smith, PhD, explains, "Only by de novo synthesis could we be absolutely certain that the active ingredient was oleocanthal."
The sensory similarities between oleocanthal and ibuprofen led scientists at Monell and the University of the Sciences to investigate potential common pharmacological properties. Studies revealed that, like ibuprofen, oleocanthal inhibits activity of COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes. Because inhibition of COX activity underlies the anti-inflammatory actions of ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), the new findings suggest oleocanthal is a natural anti-inflammatory agent.
Monell sensory scientist Paul Breslin, PhD, who directed the research together with Beauchamp remarks, "The Mediterranean diet, of which olive oil is a central component, has long been associated with numerous health benefits, including decreased risk of stroke, heart disease, breast cancer, lung cancer, and some dementias. Similar benefits are associated with certain NSAIDs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Now that we know of oleocanthal's anti-inflammatory properties, it seems plausible that oleocanthal plays a causal role in the health benefits associated with diets where olive oil is the principal source of fat."
Beauchamp said future research will aim to identify how oleocanthal inhibits COX enzymes and how this is related to throat sting.
According to Breslin, "This study is the first to make the case for pharmacological activity based on irritation and furthers the idea originally proposed decades ago by Fischer that a compound's orosensory qualities might reflect its pharmacological potency."

[Anonymous]

I recently listened to 2 shows on olive oil on NPR. Both people stated that it is really hard to find good olive oil, which apparently is very dark green and should always be in a dark bottle. They also said that good olive oil is not necessarily expensive. You have to go to a reputable grocer. I have been thinking about going to Dean and Deluca to find some. Apparently, most olive oil is just mixed with cheap veggie oil.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thank you for the responses. I am mostly concerned about flavor. If it has an impact on the final dish, and the dish calls for good quality olive oil, I'll spend extra or buy better stuff. But if it's going to taste the same anyway, then I'll just by the Safeway Organics brand.

[Anonymous]

We have a local Greek Orthodox church that has a Greek festival twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The festivals run Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. We always make a trip there for one meal and I get a very good tasting (very peppery and strong flavor, dark green in texture) olive oil that comes in metal cans with screw caps. It's not very expensive (I think $13-15 for a 500ml can) but it tastes great. I use that olive oil for things where I want the good flavor. I use Bertoli which I buy in the big jug from Sam's club for regular cooking where I'm not as worried about the flavor.

Look for your local Greek Orthodox church and see if they run a Greek festival. I think it's a great way to get a good tasting olive oil.

[Anonymous]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/beyond-extra-virgin-new-standard-aims-to-guarantee-quality-in-olive-oil/2011/10/13/gIQAG8Q1uL_story.html

Paolo Pasquali does not like to be called a crusader for good olive oil. But when I visited his oleoteca, the tasting room he built at Villa Campestri, his “olive oil resort” in the hills north of Florence, it was impossible for him to talk of anything else. At lunch, dinner and breakfast the next morning, Pasquali rhapsodized about the storied history of the olive and fumed about consumers’ feckless embrace of cheap oil. And, for most of the time, his pitch sounded like that of any number of upstart chocolate, coffee or cured-meat producers: Like wine, my product deserves more respect.

That is, until Pasquali reached into an imposing antique sideboard and pulled out a silver tray holding several small, brown apothecary bottles. “Smell this,” he said, waving one labeled “rancid” under my nose.

It didn’t smell bright or floral, like Pasquali’s oil. But it did smell familiar. The rancid oil smelled like most olive oils I had had at restaurants and cooked with at home.

[Anonymous]

I use the sciabica.com oil. They are great. Totally different product then the stuff you buy at the stores here. Made hummus the other day, just great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thank you for the responses. I am mostly concerned about flavor. If it has an impact on the final dish, and the dish calls for good quality olive oil, I'll spend extra or buy better stuff. But if it's going to taste the same anyway, then I'll just by the Safeway Organics brand.

If you cook with it, it will all taste the same. For stuff to drizzle ontop, I would look at America's test kitchen taste results online or get the book extra virginity for recs.