Is frying or cooking with extra virgin olive oil more safe than cooking with regular virgin olive oil?

Question

I've heard that some good oils lose their "healthy" qualities after you heat them and can be just as bad as the unhealthy ones. Which olive oil should i use?

Answer 1

Save your extra virgin for drizzling into tomato soups, on bread, that sort of thing. To finish a dish. Cooking with it is usually a waste of good oil. When cooking use another, lower grade olive oil. As to is it safer, no, they react the same. The difference is in the taste.


Long Live Jambi

Answer 2

I'm Italian and I always cook with olive oil. I use extra virgin oil in dressing and marinades and I use light olive oil in frying or in a dish where I don't want the oil flavor to overpower the dish. As for it's healthy qualities, olive oil is the same whether it's extra virgin or not. The only difference is flavor.

It does have a low smoke point, so use something else (peanut oil is great) if you are frying something at a high temp or for an extended period of time.

Answer 3

They are basically the same except for taste, no change in character when heated. Low smoking point

Extra-virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a superior taste. There can be no refined oil in extra-virgin olive oil.
Virgin olive oil has an acidity less than 2%, and judged to have a good taste. There can be no refined oil in virgin olive oil.

Olive oil is a blend of virgin oil and refined virgin oil, containing at most 1% acidity. It commonly lacks a strong flavor.

Olive-pomace oil is a blend of refined pomace olive oil and possibly some virgin oil. It is fit for consumption, but it may not be called olive oil. Olive-pomace oil is rarely found in a grocery store; it is often used for certain kinds of cooking in restaurants.

Answer 4

Fried foods are not particularly healthy any way you look at it...but if you must fry, use extra virgin olive oil.

Answer 5

You should not utilize either type of olive oil at high temperatures. It releases unhealthy hydrocarbons Best to use is rapeseed (branded as Canola) oil for high temperature frying.