I'm From Spain, from an area full of Olive trees and also worked as tourism guide for an Organic Olive tree plantation. There are some things you should also know about the olives and the olive oil. The olives go from a vibrant green to black. The greener they are, or the earlier you get them, the more concentration of flavour and good cualities from the oil. Also, the greener they are, the less oil you can get from them. When they are black they have more oil, but also less quality. That's why people who are really into olive oil look for first press of the season. And also why the campaign extends for months, while the quality gets worse. Also, there is another type of oil. Here we call it "lampante", and it is the one whose caracteristics don't allow them to be used for human consumption. In fact, the name, lampante, is because it was used to light the lamps. And just so you know, a big cuantity of the "italian olive oil" is actually spanish. We sell it in bulk, and they bottle it, so that's why it is labelled as italian, it is manuifactured, or bottled in Italy. Also, there are quite a lot of frauds in the olive oil business; they say it is Extra Virgin, but it is or Virgin, or just olive oil with a little more of extra virgin to pass it as good cuality. Also, don't buy unfiltered. In the process they also take out the water in the oil (that water comes from the olives). Unfiltered is watered and dirty olive oil, but you pay more and has a shorter shelf life. As a personal tip; never buy an aolive oil that smells like oil. When you try the good stuff, you undertand it.
I'm from Itlay and what he said are just hard facts. There is a lot of shaming going on for those type of practices, lots and lots of cases where they put a percentage of extra virgin olive oil over olive oil to pass it as higher quality. To confirm it there are reports about consume, production and export of olive oil for Italy and for how much we produce we can't even cover our consumption, so we are getting ripped as everyone else while they are importing from Portugal, Spain and other countries to mix or bottle here and then export with the made in Italy label, truly a big shame. That's why we make our own or buy from others directly without going through supermarkets and companies, tons of people here produce their own and tons of little producers make enough to sell, buying locally ensures the best quality and the price is the same if not cheaper Honestly, don't bother buying olive oil that's imported if there is production locally, lower cost and helps them. The export won't suffer cause there are tons of country without a proper environment for good olives, no point in focusing in places where they already have consumption covered. Other than that if you consume from places you know you could appreciate more the flavor, different types of terrain produce different flavors and it's easier to know those things of your country and places, like rocky base (the one i like the most usually), volcanic, etc...
Sorry, but I partially disagree with the statement on Italian oil. Generalisations like this are just trying to discredit an entire nation with long tradition of producing the finest oil. Granted, the mass-produced/exported one will have quality problems like the one you mention but this happens everywhere, and I’m sure it also happens in Spain to some extent. Also, an oil can be ‘produced in Italy’ with olives/a blend of oils from different countries. Information about the origin of what was used to produce this oil is what counts. Lower quality oils (you can see one example in the video) will be a blend of oils from all over the place. But there are plenty of examples of supermarket-available oils that are 100% Italian and there are great regional varieties too. Also, when it comes to food, Italy has some of the strictest regulations in the world and labelling is no exception, hence one cannot really get away without doing what I said above. I know it’s a trend to speak badly of Italy for everything but please, ‘free’ statements like this are not accurate and not welcome as that’s what people who don’t know any better end up believing.
@@bboyonit96 no no, maybe i was a bit too harsh, it's the big companies that are doing shady stuff just for profit, they tread on the limits of what law permits and ruin the made in italy brand, it's not the wrong doing of the entire industry, it's the wrong doing of 2/3 major companies, in fact "small" producers are actively going against them and push for stricter regulations to keep all the stuff made in Italy to the highest standards possible cause that's were we shine. You are absolutely right, they should buy Italian olive oil but not from the major names, there are thousands of better ones to choose from. As you said labeling and regulations are already one of the strictest, they can be absolutely trusted when contents are listed, controls are done regularly. But you know how it is when stuff reaches markets that aren't European, regulations become shitty and big companies will absolutely use them to make more profit, they can afford changing labels while normal producers (the majority for Italy) won't bother to do this usually, it's a big cost and not worth it, it's better for them to keep the honor and quality. Italy has quality imprinted inside its brain, globalization and chasing profits are ruining the fundamentals of it but hopefully the government will keep pushing stricter regulations that won't harm small producers but to keep that quality high. When i said production of oil isn't enough to satisfy us i wasn't considering that a big portion of production is done privately to satisfy personal needs and those of our friends, most of those won't be listed and it's very probable that numbers add up when considering everything.
My favorite olive oil is actually of Greek production, from Crete. The brand is Agro Creta and it is sold in 5 liter cans (probably in smaller batches too). Highly recommended if you can get your hands on this one. I am from Poland, so it might be much more accessible here than in the US. This oil has a very nice, slightly bitter punch that you feel after yo swallow.
An Italian restaurateur of my acquaintance always said “ don’t buy olive oil you would not drink” I totally agree, some of the popular supermarket oils are horribly bitter and throat scrapingly harsh !
I am so glad to live in one of the Olive oil countries (Greece). It seems that anything bellow Virgin olive oil is almost never bought by a household here. There are even some seasonal versions of extra virgin olive oil that are even more special like extra virgin olive oil from unripe olives with even stronger flavors which feels almost like a juice. You can drink that one like fine wine
@@octapusxft Well, not only that, but olive was one of the 3 food staples that allowed the ancient Greeks to begin the creation of western civilisation. The agricultural revolution that they created led to the first time in history that humans truly began to realise their intellectual capacity. We all owe the Greeks, and olive oil, a debt of gratitude. 😂
My grandfather has about 20 olive trees in his backyard. We collect the olives in early December, and we get the best olive oil somebody can get. Living in Spain has its downsides, but also has some upsides ;)
@@connorhay5823 - I lived in Spain for two years, but happy to be back in California. The whole living abroad isn't for everyone. The olive oil from Spain is great, though.
I lived on an olive farm. One issue was someone between the farm and table mixing in non-olive oils. Some farmers told me mass-market brands might have up to roughly 20% cheap, non-olive oil. Popular tests were not able to detect below that threshold although that may have changed.
Also small Italian local BIO company are doing same dirty stuff, so as I told in another post, there is NO CHANCE you can buy real exv oil in market, Italy EU, USA or every country.
I appreciate how Ethan cites his sources as if he were writing a scholarly essay. You can tell this guy has done his research and knows the science behind the cooking methods.
OMG! It makes me so excited to see you use UC Davis as a source! I just started there this year and the olive oil section at the local co-op is INCREDIBLE! Watching this video really helps me appreciate that olive oil aisle a whole lot more, and now I feel like I can pick the perfect ones for me! Thank you!
What I love about Ethan's videos is the complete lack of pretension and the vibe that we are kind of learning together. It's simple, motivating and fun. Thanks!
I’m so grateful for being born in Morocco and have tasted perfect olive oil before coming to live in France. Here in the grocery store, we only have overpriced Spanish olive oil (it doesn’t make the cut tastewise) and other oils of dubious origins that have no taste. I currently import my own olive and argan oil from morocco (because i use a lot of it), but I’m open to trying greek olive oil as I have read nice things about it.
I love how well researched and informed you are about your topics before making a video. We’re so lucky to have amazing content like yours available for free!
In Portugal it goes a bit differently in terms of available olive oils (azeites) to buy at commercial surfaces. At the oil mill (Lagar) there's three types of Azeite that can be produced: Extra virgin Virgin Lampante ( "Azeite lampante", an unpleasant olive oil named so because it was used to fuel oil lamps at home). The first two can immediately be sold as a finished product. The third one has to go through further purification (refinação) in order to be edible. But it can't be sold after this step. This refined Azeite is mixed (loteado) with either Extra virgin and/or virgin olive oil to give out a final product that is simply called Azeite (olive oil). So at the supermarket (excluding scented/flavoured/special olive oils) we basically have three types of olive oil available: Azeite extra virgem Azeite virgem Azeite (refined lampante olive oil plus extra/virgin olive oil). Unless it's a foreign brand, to my knowledge, you can't buy in Portugal straight up refined olive oil.
Lucky to have a local shop that only sells 1st press evoo and a variety of balsamics. I knew it was going to be a great shop, when I realised they had tasting cups next to each type/region offered. They even had infused oils, mostly fruit and berry, that I use quite a bit to make desert pizza. There's a strawberry infused that's one of my favourites.
Ethan! I have a video(or series) idea that I think you are most equipped to handle in an effective way. I have high blood pressure and need to reduce my sodium intake. I basically need to cut out my favorite ingredient to use in every dish, SALT. How can I make my food still taste good without using salt? What are some other low-no sodium ways I can bring out the most flavor in my dishes? This can apply to other areas like for those who need to cut out cholesterol for example. This would be a great take and I can’t think of anyone who would do it as well as you in a practical way!
Great video! I'd love to see more deep-dives into specifics of common kitchen staples like this. It's nice to learn about what makes quality, when to use certain varieties, and what price points are 'worth it' vs 'just hype'.
Hi Ethan, I am new to your channel so I am not sure if things have changed but you should try other cooking oils like we do in India - mustard oil, gingelly oil and also ghee or clarified butter along with peanut oil and olive oil that you already use. They are all healthy and have an amazing flavour profile. I enjoyed watching all of them. Keep up the great work. Love from India
My local kitchen store (That sadly went out of business) used to sell Greek olive oil from a big metal barrel. I can’t remember it’s name, but it was delicious (!) and I could eat it on bread or vegetables all day. It was highly flavorful/nuanced, buttery/fatty, and smooth (With maybe a hint of natural sweetness). How can I find an olive oil like this? (I don’t have an specialty store). Any time I buy olive oil in the store I end up with oil that is acidic tasting, bitter, harsh, spicy/peppery, and astringent/sharp (And I don’t enjoy any of these qualities in my olive oil). Thank you to anyone that can help, that olive oil/a similar olive oil has been so hard for me to find over the years.
Hi I produce olive oil in southern France, nice video ! The level of acidity and oxydation increase over time and 3 main factors have a negative impact on it : heat, oxygen, and light. Light has a huge impact on the polyphenols which are the antioxydants that helps the oil staying stable, they also give the nice green colour to it. And heat speeds up the oxydation process. So even if you purchase a good quality extra virgin olive oil, if stored in an unappropriate spot, it can quickly turn into virgin oil… you can keep your olive oil in the fridge if it’s in a big content, and pour some in a small opaque glass bottle for your day to day use… you can even freeze it !
This was informative. I have however sort of given up on the oil quest and extract ghee from butter for all things involving heat, and use olive oil for sprinkling - like salad dressing and the like. Thank you for sharing.
I have bought the Ca Olive Ranch for years, one of the best around. Being from California's Central Valley makes finding this product very easy. Another good finishing evoo is from another Ca company, Sciabica Family.
Thank you for interesting videos as always! Could you do more videos with tofu? I think tofu is an often overlooked ingredient because people think of it always as a substitute for meat. Many dishes such as Mabo tofu show that it's amazingly delicious pared together. I think more content like that can help improve the negative image it has gotten in many western countries. Perhaps a making tofu at home video could be interesting
@@EthanChlebowski One of my favorite simple weeknight meals is peanut crusted tofu steaks with rice and grilled asparagus. I think you'd be able to put a great spin on this dish!
I know how they say that tofu is just a flavor sponge, but the actual flavor of unmarinated, fresh tofu is so deliciously subtle, like a slightly sweet chunk of goodness. And when you cut firm tofu up into cubes and fry it in some oil, the differences in texture from the nutty, crunchy skin and the soft and pillowy insides is just heaven 😌 Edit: To add, sometimes when i've got the time (or when I'm craving it at 2 in the morning) I like to cut tofu up into thin slabs and shallow fry in a pan with oil until crispy. The thinner you cut them, the more chip-like they become. These taste amazing with either a sweet and sour sauce or some chili crisp! It's honestly such a versatile food, i'm in love 💕💕
I use avocado oil as my primary cooking oil (instead of peanut oil) if not deep frying. It has one of the highest smoking points, it is neutral in flavour, and is one of the healthiest oil. The only con is that it is also pretty expensive (hence why I don't use it for frying). I personally rarely ever deep fry, so my two oils are olive and avocado.
I use macadamia oil for cooking, olive oil for salads, peanut oil for Asian food and IKEA butter flavour rapeseed oil for deep frying and baking and sweet foods That apart always have ghee, butter, duck fat for cooking. Pungent mustard oil is also great for south Asian food, just like sesame oil is nice for east Asian dishes.
I live in occupied Palestine, My grandparents have an olive tree farm, And not just them, It's a common thing that almost every family has at least a couple of olive trees that they harvest each year after the first rain of autumn (to pre-wash the olives), In this harvesting season almost everyone takes a break from work (depends on how many trees they own) and after we harvest the olives we go together to the "refinery" and we manually fill up our 16 liters (4.23 gallons) containers for the oil, It has such a strong taste btw it's actually spicy and kinda burns for the first few days, We usually eat it with hummus and homemade yogurt, We also consume a lot of fermented olives which taste heavenly if fermented with jalapeoos, For us this is like eating freshly baked cookies at Christmas eve, It brings the family together and we get some amazing cooking ingredient from it! Btw our best harvest season yielded 25 containers which is about 400 liters (105 gallons) of extra virgin cold press olive oil which is split between 5 families total, And believe me we go through that in less than a year!. Thanks for coming to my TED Talk.
I'm glad I have my own Olive orchard in Kalamata Greece,extra virgin olive oil without being filtered makes food taste amazing,especially fried eggs and potatoes😋
Hey Ethan! Great video and thanks a lot for educating us. For the interest of the readers, Pakistan has become the member of internation olive council in 2022 as well. Pakistan currently has 3.6 million olive plants over an area of 31,000 acres of land, and it plans to grow more of them over 75,000 acres of land. According to Juan Vilar of Strategic Consultants, Pakistan is producing 1,500 tons of olive oil per year and 830 tons of table olives.
I actually work at a store that primarily sells specialty Italian olive oil direct from specialty producers. There’s a whole world out there if flavor in olive oil, that although is on the pricy side I honestly still find it totally worth. We actually do tastings of straight olive oil, and it’s weird at first but you get the full experience.
@@mysterymeat586 to give you the price point of where I work it’s roughly 35-42$ for a 500mL bottle from our producers. It’s not a shop that does those metal vats you refill, but has a selection of blends and monovarietal oils from Italy. Don’t knock the good stuff till you’ve had the *good* stuff. Easy brand I recommend is fattori ramerino, frantoio Franci is also a favorite of mine. Look for oil/farms rated by Flos Olei greater than 95.
@@buddah_baddy The problem is the US lack of regulations on olive oil. We have become a dumping ground for batches that may have turned out bad, outdated, or other reasons. Most people don't know the difference. I was ignorant early on until I tried Cal Olive Ranch and I was hooked. Also it's consistent from bottle to bottle. It was rated #1 in a taste test on America's Test Kitchen cooking show on PBS, which reaffirmed my choice.
@@buddah_baddy Nope. Just a happy customer. I like Olive oil and avocado oil. I endorse without pay any product or service I'm happy with. For example, I've been driving and endorse Toyota pickups since '87, two imported from Japan. I can't knock your product since I haven't tried nor heard of it. But a flag goes up when I read "imported" when it comes to olive oil. I stopped looking for a good oil after I tried California Olive Ranch domestic. It goes beyond my expectations. I'm retired from trucking/construction btw.
I prefer olive oil for frying over peanut oil due to the taste. While some foods the difference in flavor will be small, but eg frying mushrooms in olive oil provides great flavor. Typically vegetables fried or baked taste better with extra virgin.
Good info, but I'm still on the hunt for how to tell one is in fact getting evoo and not a fake blend. I'll keep looking around, but I keep getting mixed info about how to test it, i.e., such as putting it in the fridge and see if it coagulates and how long it takes to do so. Some sources say that doesn't work, others say it does. I've been buying Texas evoo and it compares very nicely to the CA brands and is competitively priced, though still pricey. I started out a loyal fan of the California Olive Ranch brand you also buy in the tall square pillar bottle, when it was still made from all CA grown olives. Then I noticed they started selling a blend sourced from around the world. That introduces all the gaps to be exploited by fraudsters. So, the search continues, but I think my Texas grown and bottled (which does coagulate) brand is serving me well. Great uploads Chlebowski, very clean, informative, entertaining, and comprehensive without being exhaustive (which can be exhausting). Big thanks bud.
Light for massage. Some decades ago I used to buy a tiny bottle for $1.25 (yes) use it for a massage and leave the bottle with the client. So elegant. (The glass bottle has a step-shape, like a tall pyramid. So nice.) At present, Trader Joe has lots of imported olive oils. I buy Kalamata. I will consider the Costco one at my next visit. I also use Avocado and Coconut oils. And I have some Sesame (not toasted) which has a nice flavor uncooked. (Yes, I have to toasted one too- Kikkoman is better than TJ's.)
I really appreciate this video. I definitely learned a lot. Would you consider making a video on oils in general at some point? I know you did cover both you use, but peanut oil is not really as cheap here where I live. It's about the same as extra Virgin olive. Rapeseed and sunflower oil are typically the cheap ones...
I've generally been in a fan of the stuff that's just labeled as olive oil for my cooking purposes, because to me it has just the right amount of flavor. Most of the ones that are labeled as extra virgin seem to be just way too strong, really only good for bread dipping, and many of them are still a little bit overwhelming at that. That said, I should probably look into peanut oil to replace using canola oil, since I don't know anybody with a peanut allergy and I think it would improve flavor because I kind of hate canola oils flavor.
Ethan, excellent video! Question: Are there significant health differences from one oil to the next? I remember being convinced years ago that olive oil was, in some way, healthier than other oils. I wonder if that is actually true.
Hello party people. At least according to the research I read all cooking oils are basically comparable to each other as far as health goes. So olive oil, peanut oil and the like aren't really worse or better than each other health speaking. The good thing about olive oil however is that it is a more neutral oil to cook food in which may be desirable to some.
There are significant health differences from one oil to the next. The biggest differences tend to be in fat composition and antioxidant concentration. EVOO is considered the healthiest fat in the world because it has the highest concentration of mono unsaturated fat (good fat) and plant based antioxidants (also known as phenolics). In this case the specific antioxidant (phenolic) is oleocanthal. I hope this helped!
As a Lebanese even in Canada i buy my olive Oil from Lebanon or Greece 3rd place Spain ( as i know they are good ) Sadly many olive Oil got made in Italy when i taste them raw it ruin many of the food taste it has a vegetable oil after taste. And few years later the gov of Canada was able to target 4 italian brands that they werent extra virgin as mentioned and they were mixed with corn oil
I'm spanish and I live in a region that there is nothing but olive trees around me. We don't use another oil (ok maybe corn oil just for popcorn), so I'm pretty capable of answering your question: nope, dont refigerate it, just keep it in a dark place, far from extreme temperatures and remember to close the bottle after using it. That's it.
Here in Spain is extra virgin oil around 0.07-0.08 per 15 g while peanut oil is mor than 0.16 the 15g. Here to fry is better use sun flower oil or corn oil while olive oil is used for cook in general
I use olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, bacon fat, or butter for cooking. They taste great. I have stopped eating any refined seed oils (canola, sunflower, safflower, peanut, corn, soybean, etc.) for health reasons.
How about a primer on cooking with butter, in all its variations? Like, showing us that, if you want to use butter as an oil to Fry Rice with, you need to let the moisture evaporate off before adding the rice.
This was fascinating, I’m an Asian cook. I have been since I could reach the counter and will continue to be. I like to dabble in the exotic flavors of the west and Mediterranean. Probably not enough to invest in olive oil, but it’s good information to have should I ever need it. No matter where you go or where you’re from, the ingredients you use should always be the best.
The best I can find is Kirkland's organic cold pressed extra virgin olive oil at Costco if you use olive oil. I use avocado oil for high temperature cooking.
This is certainly informative in the consumer buying decision, but I prefer to know more about certified organic extra virgin olive oil, where it fits in value compared to non-organic.
I have two gallons of high quality olive oil imported from Italy. Cold pressed, organic, strong in taste spicy and every time I put some on pasta or in salads it feels like going to some very expensive restaurant. It wasn't cheap but trust me it's worth the price considering it's a gallon and it's an investment to one's health.
I watchedc 6:30 of this video before realizing it was Ethan, and if I known it was this channel I wouldve cozied up to watch it, but I ended up actually being interested the entire time. Amazing job guy
I use untoasted sesame oil for stir frys or Asian style food, extra Virgin coconut oil for baking, and California EVOO for everything else (even on air popped popcorn).
i get my olive oil and olives from my farm in greece! Let me tell you the taste is night and day compared to most store bought olive oil and everybody that tries my oilive oil is stunned how good it tastes!
The olive oil we produce in our farm is gourmet olive oil with 0.5~0.6 FFA content so we call it gourmet extra virgin olive oil. It also comes from 1.5 century old trees.
I use the Extra virgin for cooking, and a blended one for salads and such, since it's less acidic. You don't really see just refined oil arround here. Really good olive oil here in spain.
Hey Ethan, a new study was just published, with respect to cooking with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), stating that "EVOO has several advantages over other vegetable oils used in cooking. Its fatty acid profile and minor constituents keep the oil stable under high temperatures. By absorbing the oil, the cooked food is likewise protected from oxidation and enriched with EVOO health-promoting bioactive compounds. Finally, food bioactive compounds become more bioavailable upon migration to the oil" (excerpt from the manuscript itself). Source: Lozano-Castellón et al., Trends in Food Science & Technology, 2022, 123, 28-36, DOI 10.1016/j.tifs.2022.02.022. Very interesting reading!
In Spain is difficult to find non extra virgin. There are many types depending on the original olive tree. olive oil worse than extra virgin is considered inadequate, I do not remember to have other at home ever.
Careful with the peanut oil though it's heavy on omega 6. I usually keep a good evoo for dressings flavoring and cooking eggs at a lower temp. For all of my high temp cooking though I prefer avacado.
Because i never have seen type 3 and 4, i just went to the supermarket again, and yes, now i am sure: Here (in Austria) there is only extra virgin and virgin olive oil for sale. Different brands, different types of these, and sometimes even mentioning the type of olives used (in the higher priced versions, and of course the origin: mostly greek or italian oils)
You're absolutely right about the confusion around olive oil terminologies! As a producer of extra virgin olive oil from Southern Italy, allow me to clarify: 'Extra Virgin' is the highest quality olive oil. It's cold-pressed (meaning heat was not used in the extraction process which can degrade the oil), made from the first press of the olives, and has no defects in flavor or aroma. 'Virgin' is similar, but it might have minor defects. 'Pure' or 'Regular' olive oil is a blend of cold-pressed and processed oils. It's typically more processed than virgin or extra virgin. 'Light' doesn't refer to the calorie content, but rather the color and flavor - it's a lighter-tasting oil. Filtered olive oil has been processed to remove tiny olive particles that may decrease its shelf life, while unfiltered olive oil is left in its natural state. 'First cold-pressed refers to olives that have been pressed for the first time and the oil was extracted without heat or chemicals. Marketing can often mislead consumers, but the key is to look for 'extra virgin' for the best quality, and ideally, buy from a trusted source or directly from a producer if possible. I hope this helps to make your future olive oil shopping a little easier!
Someone said that EVOO is one of the best high temperature cooking oils? It is decent, but there are better higher temperature cooking oils. The smoke point is important as that is when the oil starts to change on a chemical level. You should base your cooking oil on the smoke point, omega6 content, and a few other points.
Just a reminder that degradation of the body or in other words health is caused by cell oxidation. One contributor to increased oxidation in the human body are seed and vegetable oils. Personally, I'd skip the peanut oil as its too similar to the other traditional, unhealthy oils (canola, vegetable, etc.). As crazy as it sounds in today's world. Fats (butter, lard, etc.) are your best, and most healthy choices to cook with. Followed by olive oils.
Many people think that olive oil should not be used in baked goods, but I recently had a chiffon cake that had been baked with olive oil, and it was delicious. If you like the taste of olive oil, there is a good chance you will like it in baked goods too.
My partner's allergic to peanuts, so I typically use canola (rapeseed to my fellow Brits) for high heat frying, and sunflower for other neutral oil uses (it makes excellent mayo). Olive oil we keep 2 kinds in the kitchen, a good store bought EVOO for low-temp shallow frying (eggs, or for coating some roasted veggies) & for salad dressings, and then finally, because we're lucky to have friends with family in Italy and Greece, there's usually an unlabelled bottle that's only ever drizzled neat to finish a dish or to dip fresh bread into.
Also interested to learn about single origin vs. blended oil (which is what is on most shelves and lists many different countries of origin). As I understand, blended oils coming from multiple locations are usually not made from the highest quality olives. The manufacturer has very little or no control of the production chain and it won't have the premium taste and health profile of single origin olive oil.
You had not explained why refined olive oil is not recommended. It's flavourless, and has a lower free fatty acid count. Wouldn't that be preferably as a general cooking tool?
I'm from an olive producing country, Lebanon. Here we directly buy olive and olive oil from farmers with no branding, and one thing should be mentioned that there is a big difference between the oil directly after it's compressed where it's still opaque as it have a very strong taste and how it becomes months later as it become transparent after every thing have receded.
Nice one if the few accurate videos on olive oil especially that it is safest for frying! Try EVOO fries and you will never go back! I use light olive oil for Asian stir fries since it’s tasteless and safest for high temp cooking
There's a lot of discussion about health effects of refined vegetables and seed oils. Is peanut oil also a health concern? I hear it's mostly to do which chemicals used in refining
You also could find the Virgin Olive oil labeled as "Early season olive oil" or "Green Olive Oil". This means that this olive oil comes from the first harvested olives of the season. This olives gonna be in an early stage of maduration, the olives are more green and have less quantity of oil inside, but the quality and flavour and taste will be more intense, giving more "green" aromas, like fresh grass, fennel, green tomatoes. This "Green" olive oil is usually not filtered, consequently his life is shorter. We usually don't use this oil to cook, is used to dress salads, make pesto, etc. When the harvest season advances, the olives gonna turn brown and black as they are more ripe. The flavour and aromas gonna be more refined, less intense, giving more mature aromas (dry fruits, ripe tomato, etc.) This is the olive oil we usually use to cook. One of the advantages of cooking with olive oil is that you can reuse it until 9 times (taking care of never exceed the temperature of 160ºC / 320 F ). Hope it helps someone, and sorry for my English. I'm not a native English speaker and in a bit of a rush right now to take sometime to correct de text.
I think I'd argue from something like Canola oil as a second one to use though, I'm pretty sure peanut oil is something people with peanut allergies still react to, so not always good for cooking to share with others...
I am curious why California Ranch harvest dates and best buy dates atr about 3 years. It is 6/22/22 and every bottle of California Ranch I see in the stores has harvest date 2020-2021 and best buy Jan 2024. That would make it roughly 18 months old on the shelf already
I'm from Spain. I can get a 2.5 litres (1 gallon) bottle of extra virgin olive oil for about 20 euro/20 dollars. Maybe it went up somewhat lately because of Putin's inflation. But it's _that_ cheap. We use it to fry potatoes and everything. Yes, the extra virgin one. Normal virgin olive oil is like 10% of the oil we eat at home, and is only used for cakes and salads, where you don't want the super-hard oily taste.
This was a very informative video, as usual =) However, it's missing one key topic: olive oil adulteration. All over the world (Europe, US, Canada, etc) Olive Oil is constantly adulterated. Many people buy extra virgin olive oil which ends up being either lower quality olive oil or even a completely different type of oil like canola oil. At some point they said that 80% of "extra virgin olive oil" in the US is adulterated. Olive oil fraud is an ancient "business" (since the Roman Empire or even earlier), because it's incredibly easy to create fake olive oil, incredibly hard to detect, and most oils end up never being tested anyway. Funnily enough, the ancient Romans were better at fighting olive oil fraud than we are today. A quick look at the comment section shows many people are bringing this up, so maybe a followup video where this topic is touched on would be a good idea? Maybe in the 1 year anniversary of this vid?
100% Coconut oil is nice to have around for pan frying stuff. It last and lasts. I have yet to smell off odors in coconut oil. Its flavor is very neutral, though. I use: coconut oil to pan fry most stuff; good olive oil for stuff like dressings; and sunflower oil for making breads and such.
