Check Your Oil Cold-Pressed? Extra-Virgin? What Does It All Mean? We Try To Make Sense Of The Wonders Of Olive Oil

Not too long ago, your average meat-and-potatoes American considered olive oil to be, more or less, Popeye’s girlfriend.

Since then, Americans have discovered olive oil, the liquid kind. In the last 10 years, olive oil use has doubled in American households. The sales of high-end olive oils, the extra-virgin oils, have increased 51 percent since 1995, according to the North American Olive Oil Association.

Specialty stores such as Huckleberry’s and Williams-Sonoma have entire shelves full of “artisanal” olive oils from Italy, Greece, Spain and California. These oils are packaged and labeled like fine wines - some even have vintage dates - and they’re priced like fine wines, too. A $26 bottle of olive oil is not out of the question.

Yet despite this surge in olive oil awareness, most Americans still don’t know exactly how important, how central, how sacred olive oil has been in Western culture for more than 4,000 years.

“Sacred”? Isn’t that overstating the case just a bit?

No, it’s not. Olive oil is sacred. It’s the main ingredient in the holy anointing oil, or “chrism,” used by the Roman Catholic Church, as well as in many other Christian churches and Jewish synagogues. The Bible itself spells out what kind of oil to use, in Exodus 30:24-25: “Of oil olive … thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment.”

Of course, olive oil had its less-sacred uses, too. Remember boiling oil? The kind that soldiers poured from the ramparts onto the heads of their enemies? That was olive oil, at least if the castle happened to be anywhere in the Mediterranean world.

Olive oil had one other vital use in the ancient world: illumination. Those smoky flames from Roman, Greek and Aladdin-style lamps were fueled, usually, by olive oil.

Today, of course, nobody uses olive oil for fuel anymore, because. … “Well, we did have a bunch of Y2K people in here last month, buying olive oil in bulk for lamps,” said Huckleberry’s wine specialist and olive oil expert Eric Cook.

OK, so a few people might still burn it. And people might even use it for other ancient purposes, such as medicinal balms and as a base for perfumes. But in general, olive oil is used today for a purpose that no doubt predates all other uses: as food, and a remarkably fine food at that.

“The function of most oils is mechanical rather than gastronomic,” food expert Waverly Root once wrote. “Olive oil, on the contrary, contributes both flavor and nutrition to any dish anointed by it or cooked in it and becomes a full-fledged ingredient on its own.”

Most Americans cook with imported olive oil, usually labeled Italian. There is no intrinsic quality difference between Spanish, Greek and Italian oils. In fact, a lot of oil labeled Italian may well have been grown in Spain or Greece and merely bottled in Italy.

Spain accounts for 45 percent of the world’s production, Italy 25 percent and Greece 20 percent, according to the fine 1997 cookbook “Olive Oil: From Tree to Table,” by Peggy Knickerbocker (Chronicle Books). In America, California has the biggest olive oil industry, but it accounts for only .5 percent of the world’s total.

The major quality difference in olive oils comes from how they are pressed. Here are the different grades, from highest quality on down:

Extra-virgin: This oil comes from the first pressing of the olives, usually from a method called “cold-pressing.” This means that no heat or chemicals were used to extract the oil. The oil must also pass certain taste and acidity tests to be labeled extra-virgin (low acidity indicates high-quality, fresh olives). Extra-virgin oil has the best flavor and should be used for salads, dipping and drizzling.

Virgin: This oil also comes from the first pressing but may include more acidity. It also must pass certain taste tests.

Pure olive oil: An inexpensive mix of refined oil (extracted by chemical processes from what is left after the first pressing) along with some virgin or extra-virgin for flavor. Widely used for frying or cooking when subtle flavors don’t matter as much.

Light olive oil: A refined olive oil. The “light” refers to an absence of flavor, not calories.

There are several other grades below this, such as pomace oil, but they are generally only used commercially. There is no calorie difference between these oils; they all contain about 125 calories per tablespoon, the same as most fats. However, the monounsaturated fat in olive oil is widely considered a “good” fat, which might even have cholesterol-lowering properties. It is an important component in the so-called Mediterranean diet.

When buying olive oil for routine use, Knickerbocker recommends the major Italian commercial brands such as Bertolli, Colavita and Sasso.

Up in the extra-virgin territory, however, things can get more complicated. You can buy Bertolli extra-virgin olive oil for what amounts to a few dollars per liter, or you can buy fancy artisanal extra-virgin oils for up to $50 or $60 per liter. These are often produced by small orchards, or even wineries with olive orchards on the side, and are often vintage-dated. Unlike wine, fresher is better. Avoid anything more than 2 years old.

Different regions have their own distinctive flavors. Tuscany is famous for a peppery flavor in the back of the throat, a result of the region’s practice of harvesting the olives earlier and greener.

Ligurian oils are more delicate and buttery. Greek oils tend to be riper and more fruity. There are big differences in producers, too. Knickerbocker, in her book, recommends Frescobaldi Laudemio from Tuscany, Roi Mosto from Liguria, Greek Gold Organic from Greece and Nunez de Prado from Spain, among many others.

I recommend heading to the tasting bar at Williams-Sonoma and trying some varieties yourself. You’ll be surprised at the spectrum of flavors.

However, don’t be surprised if you prefer the old standbys from the grocery store. I recently bought two very expensive Tuscan oils - the Frescobaldi Laudemio, around $26 a half-liter, and Badia a Coltibuono, $13 for an 8-ounce bottle, which comes from a Tuscan abbey winery and olive orchard.

Then I did a blind taste test with seven friends, using those two oils and the inexpensive Bertolli extra-virgin oil. Several actively hated the peppery flavor of the Badia a Coltibuono and all were neutral about the Frescobaldi. All seven people chose the Bertolli as their favorite.

It’s like fine Scotch: The single malts have their advocates, but the blended varieties are smoother and more consistent.

Whatever you buy, store it carefully. Olive oil can go rancid quickly if not kept in a cool, dark place. Light can damage it, and so can heat if kept too close to the stove. It does not refrigerate well, either; it gets cloudy and thick.

Once you have your oil, here are some recipes, all taken from Knickerbocker’s “Olive Oil: From Tree to Table.”

Let’s begin with one of the best ways to use a high-quality olive oil:

Quick Vinaigrette

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together all the ingredients and serve at once over the greens or vegetables of your choice.

Yield: About 1/2 cup, or 4 (2-tablespoon) servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 149 calories, 15 grams fat (91 percent fat calories), 1 gram protein, 4 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, no dietary fiber, 266 milligrams sodium.

Spaghetti With Garlic, Olive Oil and Chili

Now let’s move up to a pasta dish that is as simple as it is delicious. This is an excellent way to show off the flavors of a good extra-virgin oil. Don’t “cook” the oil too much, or it will lose its flavors.

3/4 pound spaghetti

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 or more cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Grated parmesan or pecorino cheese, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and saute until transparent, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pepper flakes.

Drain the pasta and transfer to a warmed serving bowl. Add the contents of the skillet and toss well. Season with salt and pepper and pass the grated cheese at the table, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving (not including cheese): 250 calories, 15 grams fat (54 percent fat calories), 4 grams protein, 25 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 2 grams dietary fiber, 74 milligrams sodium.

Spaghetti With Lemony Seared Scallops

Now let’s try a slightly more ambitious spaghetti dish, but one that is still amazingly simple. Here are few warnings based on my experience cooking this dish. Don’t load the flour on too heavily, or it will simply slough off and form a sludge in the bottom of the pan. Also, you might try using a wok for easier stir-frying and searing.

3/4 to 1 pound bay scallops or sea scallops

1/2 cup white flour, preferably Wondra

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for searing

Juice of 1 lemon

3/4 pound spaghetti

1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley

Grated zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons highest quality mild extra-virgin olive oil or lemon-flavored olive oil for drizzling

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, if using bay scallops leave whole; if using sea scallops, cut into quarters. In a large bowl, combine the flour with the salt and pepper. Dust the scallops with the seasoned flour, then tap off the excess.

Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Add the 2 tablespoons olive oil and warm for 30 seconds. Add the scallops and sear, turning as necessary, for not more than 1 to 2 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the pan and stir. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving about cup of the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to a warmed serving bowl. Add the warm scallops and the reserved pasta water and toss well. Sprinkle the parsley and lemon zest on top and drizzle with the 2 tablespoons mild extra-virgin olive oil or lemon-flavored oil. Serve at once.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings: 290 calories, 11 grams fat (34 percent fat calories), 19 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrate, 37 milligrams cholesterol, 2 grams dietary fiber, 226 milligrams sodium.

Sweet Fried Crisps

Finally, here’s a simple dessert that is popular in Spain, often called Alicante Rags. Olive oil is a surprisingly good choice for deep-frying, but be careful to regulate the temperature carefully with a thermometer; too hot, and the oil will smoke badly. It does not make sense to use a fancy artisanal oil; use the cheaper brands.

About 1 cup of bulk extra-virgin olive oil

20 won ton wrappers

Cinnamon sugar, confectioners’ sugar or honey

Pour the olive oil into a heavy skillet or a deep-fat fryer to a depth of about 2-1/2 inches and heat to 365 degrees. Leave the won ton wrappers whole, or cut them in half on the diagonal.

When the oil is ready, using tongs and working in batches, carefully lower the wrappers into the hot oil. When they start to turn golden after a minute or two, remove them from the oil with tongs and drain on a wire rack placed over paper towels.

Transfer the crisps to a platter, mounding them. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar or confectioners’ sugar or drizzle with honey. They can be served hot, or they can be cooked a few hours ahead of time, left unwrapped and served at room temperature.

Yields: 20 crisps.

Nutrition information per crisp: 129 calories, 11 grams fat (77 percent fat calories), 1 gram protein, 6 grams carbohydrate, 1 milligram cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 46 milligrams sodium.