was pressed from unheated olives and that the
oil came from their first pressing. To a large
degree, this label overlaps the extra-virgin label.- “Pure” or “Light” has nothing to do with olive
oil’s calorie content—it is only an indication of
flavor. These olive oils are made from
subsequent pressing of olives, or from olives that
have been heated to extract more oil. The oil is
then refined, so that none of the flavorful
compounds found in virgin or extra-virgin oil
are present—leaving you with a neutral oil with
a high smoke point. Light olive oils tend to be far
more expensive than vegetable or canola oils,
which will work just as well or better for
cooking. Leave these on the shelf.
Extra-virgin is pricey, so how do you find a good
one? My advice is to locate a store that will let you
try the oils before you buy, and taste at first without
paying attention to sticker price. You may well find
that the cheapest bottle in the shop suits you just
fine. If you have the time, budget, and inclination, it
can be fun to collect olive oils from various parts of
the world. In the United States, it’s now fairly easy
to find olive oil imported from Italy, Spain, France,
Morocco, and South America, along with our own
domestic olive oils (mainly from California). I like to
keep a few of my favorite bottles on hand: a sunny
and grassy Spanish olive oil from Extremadura, like
Merula or Oro San Carlos; a buttery, rich Italian