Olive oil is produced from olives which belongs to Oleacea family. Olive is a traditional tree crop mainly cultivated in the Mediterranean Basin. Generally the oil is obtained by pressing the whole olives into a paste, separating the vegetal liquid from the paste, and then separating water and oil from the liquid. However, there are different approaches to this procedure resulting in oil with different consistency and uses. There are four main categories of olive oil; extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), virgin olive oil, refined olive oil and olive pomace oil. Olive oil is commonly used in food for frying, cooking and dressing salads. Furthermore, it is used in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, soaps, in traditional oil lamps as a fuel and in some religious ceremonies.
EVOO/ AOVE (aceite de olive virgen extra) is obtained by using the cold mechanical extraction method. There are no refining procedures or solvents involved, resulting it to be chemical free. This oil is the highest grade of olive oil and is the most expensive. It is fruity, bitter and pungent with superior taste and has less the 0.8% free acidity. EVOO/ XVOO is mainly produced in Italy, Spain and Greece. Some other countries also produce EVOObut as compared to the total production of the olive oil in these countries, it accounts for less than 10%.
How the specialist call the olive oils?
The olive oil specialist use some shortcut for the expression of the extra virgin oils. It’s a common use around the world.
EVOO
EVOO abbreviation of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
AOVE
AOVE abbreviation of Aaceite de Olive Virgen Extra, the Spanish translation of extra virgin olive oil
XVOO
XVOO also like EVOO the abbreviation of extra virgin olive oil. But the correct use is EVOO not XVOO
EVOO is rich in monounsaturated fats which are very healthy, contains large amount of antioxidants and has antibacterial and strong anti inflammatory properties. It is very good in maintaining healthy weight and in maintaining a good diet. It is an excellent skin and hair tonic. In fact, EVOO is incredibly healthy, helps in avoiding, stroke, heart disease, cancer, arthritis and type 2 diabetes. Many health professionals insist on including EVOO as an important part of our diet.
Truth be told, EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) may be the healthiest fat on earth.
Other topics of interest
The taste of extra virgin olive oil