So, the Beloved and I have started using olive oil more in our cooking, and I’m confused by the different categories. There’s plain olive oil; there’s virgin olive oil; there’s extra-virgin olive oil, the mere mention of which boggles my mind. What do the different grades mean? why is it that the more virgin the oil is, the darker it is? somehow I would have thought that virgin meant some grade of processing to a purer, clearer state?? :eek: or am I just back-applying too many talks from confirmation class?
and what practical effect do these grades have in cooking? does the degree of virginity relate to types of fats or anything? flavour? calories?
and olive oil has no cholesterol, right, since it’s not an animal product?
ANd then there is the “super-virgin” oil. This is the oil that simply falls - one single drop - from the most perfect olive once a century. It is being held by the ancient Order of the Monks of the Olive Grove, and when their oil bottle is finally full, the purpose for all the physical universe will end and God shall have his cooking supplies.
First pressing? you mean they press olives repeatedly? that’s barbaric, tossing the poor little squished things back into the press, time and again, until they run clear. Why hasn’t PETA looked into this? :eek:
Are there different types of olives, some for pressing, and some for eating? olives don’t taste oily to me - is it only the high pressure that brings out the oil?
Actually…“Olive Oil” was a Procol Harem cover band that had a hit with the tune “Virgin 17.” It was a bonus track that only appeared on the first 100,000 copies. But they dropped the extra virgin after the first pressing and the LP no longer shipped with the groovy poster either.
