Criteria for choosing (well) Olive Oil

We want to begin 2021 sharing a practical article with all our friends and clients. We want to explain the different types of oils (and olive products) that are currently marketed, to help you distinguish their characteristics.

There are basically four types of oils. Sorted from highest to lowest quality they  are the following:

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). It is the most valuable. It is exactly the juice of olives, pressed physically (manually or mechanically) and has a maximum acidity of 0.8º. It has a fruity aroma and no impurity.

2. Virgin Olive Oil (VOO). It is also obtained by physical methods. But its acidity is higher (up to 2º) and, despite its good fruity aroma, it has some small defects and impurities.

3. Olive Oil. It is known as “refined oil”. This means that it is made from mixing a virgin olive oil with another oil of not so good quality. Therefore, it is a mixture. It is not pure. But it is (and it tastes) good.

4. Olive Pomace Oil. It is made from the residue of olives once they have already been used to make EVOO or VOO. Be it the bones or the skins, they are squeezed again to obtain the last drop. Olives that are fallen, or bitten by birds, or that have suffered a frost are also used. This product is mixed with virgin oil. And, although it is not of such good quality, it is ideal for frying, for example.

These four are good but the best one is the Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), and logically, the prices of each vary according to the quality.

At Ralda & Friends our oils are pure EVOO. In fact, they are not only all AOVE but two of the three bottles that we offer are extra virgin olive oils and with Protected Denomination of Origin (D.O.P). They are our black bottles (Baix Ebre-Montsiá DOP) and oranges (Single Variety Morruda). That means they are of the best quality imaginable. They have no impurities and are super nutritional.

A couple of years ago, the OCU (Spanish Organization of United Consumers) detected certain frauds on the labels of some brands. Specifically, out of 40 producers, half said they sell EVOO or VOO oils when, in fact, they sold Olive Oil or Olive Pomace Oil. We want to invite all of you to read the labels carefully and to purchase products according to your expectations.

We will never fail you.

Alfredo & Pierre RALDA