Ole, Ole, Oh Olive Oil (Olive Oil in general)

Member Name: zoe_page_1

Product:	Olive Oil in general
Date:	28/09/01 (825 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Most bon, the "healthy" alternative, yummy

Disadvantages: I'm sure there are some...

Olive oil is a serious business – I searched on Yahoo and immediately picked up over 500 sites, and 1300 products for sale. That’s a lot of olives. Flicking through a few sites I saw lists of awards similar to those one would expect to be awarded to fine wines – “Best I’ve tasted in a long time”, said one guy. “Tasted as if it was produced yesterday”, another. I knew nothing about olive oil, oh, 40 minutes ago. Now I do, and since it was pretty interesting, I thought I’d share some of my new found knowledge with you lovely dooyooers out there.



Where does olive oil come from?

Erm, olives? Olives themselves can be grown almost anywhere where it’s hot enough, but the majority of them come from just 4 main countries: Italy, Spain, Australia and America (California in particular).



What can olive oil be used for?

Olive oil can be used to replace just about any other oil in cooking – as all the best cooks know, recipes are not necessarily made to be stuck to. You can use a mildish oil in cakes and pastries, and in dishes with subtle flavours. Stronger flavoured oils can be used on fish (yuck) and in spicy dishes. Olive oil added right at the table will have more of its aromas and flavours than oil heated during cooking. This type of oil is perfect for adding to salads and soups.

Olive oil can be used in place or butter or margarine either directly with food (so for dunking your bread in, for example) or for greasing – I use it in my sandwhich toaster as it’s less, well, buttery than butter itself, and gives a more subtle, less fatty taste.



Any none-food uses?

Of course (after all, since I’m making up the questions, I wouldn’t have included this one if there weren’t any ;p ). Believe it or not, olive oil can be used to get rid of headlice in children (!) and it also has a number of
cosmetic uses. The ancient Greeks used to bathe with oil as it’s so moisturizing - to use on dry skin, apply daily directly to dry spots and stretch marks (but avoid pure and light olive oil which has been chemically processed – stick to the Virgin stuff). Homemade face masks made of olive oil mixed with avocado are great for rejuvenating the skin too. Certain brands of lip balm, shampoo, bath oils, hand lotions, soap, nail soaks, massage oil, dandruff treatment, etc all include olive oil.



Types Of Olive Oil

There are a lot of these, including Extra Virgin olive oil, Fine Virgin olive oil,
Semi-fine or Ordinary Olive Oil, Refined Olive oil, Pure olive oil, Refined Olive-Pomace oil, Pomace oil, Olive Cake, Lampante Olive Oil and Cold pressed Olive Oil. The description you see on the bottle (and the price they are able to charge) depends on two things – the peroxide value (“bleach?!?!?!” I hear you scream) and the acidity / 100g. Generally speaking, extra virgin is the best, of the highest quality with the most flavour and, therefore, the most expensive.



Health Issues

Essentially olive oil is a fat, and fats are always bad, right? Wrong! New research has shown that olive oil contains antioxidants, similar to those in tea and red wine, that combat disease processes, including LDL cholesterol's ability to clog arteries. I’m guessing this is a good thing :-) Olive oil can also help to reduce the risks of breast, prostate and colon cancers by up to a whopping 50%. Since it’s so full of flavour, a little goes a long way which helps you reduce your fat intake without even trying. Although some people may aim for a low-fat diet this isn’t always the best idea – a diet rich in olive-oil is more effective than a low-fat diet in controlling and treating obesity. You have been warned.



Souces

www.olivetree.cc
www.olive-oil.com
>www.oliveoilsource.com
www.asoliva.com
www.brcohnoliveoil.com

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