How do virgin and extra virgin olive oil differ from ordinary olive oil?

Question

Thank you all for clearing it up for me. There is so much good info - I can't choose a 'best' - let 'the voters'. Incidentally, The truth, I now know, is exactly opposite of what I had guessed-'extra' is the first squeeze.

And Chelsea-plain ol' olive oil must mean it has only 'done it' once, right?

Answer 1

The first cold squeezing is extra virgin. Second squeezing is virgin.

Extra virgin has a more delicate flavor. Use it when you can.

Grapeseed oil is better for many things if you don't particularly want the olive flavor intruding. Better for cooking, and better for infused oils for dipping, etc.

Answer 2

The taste, the smell... I think means everything. All types of olive oil are ideal for frying as their burning point is higher than that of other oil. But if you're frying something, don't spend too much to extra virgin, even virgin olive oil, because the smell and taste of the oil can depressed by the thing that you fried. Rafined olive oil is ideal for frying.
I can offer you virgin olive oil for mild cookings, or something you boil, it's great for meals made with vegetables.
If you're trying to make something uncooked (such as salads or sauces), or before barbecue keep meats in the extra virgin olive oil for a couple of hours, it will relax the meat and you can eat a very soft meat.
It's also important who will eat it. If you're sure that the person who will eat it can understand the difference between them, use extra virgin olive oil always. Mediterranean people can understand the difference between them mostly.
Extra virgin olive oil: Obtained from high quality olives, that has no defects on them, made from special olives. Most of them breeded for gourmets. This oil has a strong aroma of the fruit, and cannot surpass 1% acidity.
Virgin olive oil: It cannot surpass 2% acidity. Olives are in good quality, and made from the olives breeded for eating.
Rafined olive oil: It has not a great value, it's produced by squashed/flimsy/rotten olives, and some industrial procedures applicated on it.
There's a brand between virgin and rafined olive oil called as normal virgin sometimes, is a blended type of olive oil...

Answer 3

A series of requirements are declared on national and international regulations to identify Trade Standards for olive oils. The quality is measured in two steps: acidity evaluation and taste test.
According to the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC), these are the categories:

1)VIRGIN OLIVE OIL is the oil obtained from the fruit of the olive tree solely by mechanical or other physical means under conditions, particularly thermal conditions, which do not lead to the alteration of the oil. It has not undergone any treatment
other than washing, decanting, centrifuging and filtering. When virgin olive oil is intended for consumption in its natural state, it is called by one of the following designations:

a- Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a maximum acidity of 1% and organoleptic characteristics stipulated in the standards for this category;
b- Virgin Olive Oil has a maximum acidity of 2% and organoleptic
characteristics stipulated in the standards for this category;
c- Ordinary Virgin Olive Oil has a maximum acidity of 3% and organoleptic characteristics stipulated in the standards for this category;
d- Lampante Virgin Olive Oil has more than 3.3% of acidity and organoleptic characteristics stipulated in the standards for this category. It is not fit for consuption in its original state and should be refined prior to its use as a food stuff.

2)REFINED OLIVE OIL is obtained from virgin olive oils, generally Lampante, by refining methods that do not alter the initial glyceride structure of the oil.

3)OLIVE OIL is a specific foodstuff term for a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oil fit for consumption as is.

Answer 4

Extra virgin has the best taste, then virgin and then regular olive oil. Extra virgin and virgin olive oil are less acidic than ordinary olive oil.. Regular olive oil is bland and doesn't have much of a strong flavor.

Answer 5

Extra virgin is the first press , virgin is the second press and regular olive oil is somewhere down the road after that (as many more presses as they can get )

Answer 6

extra virgin olive oil is the first oil from the press and is the best, next is virgin, and whatever is left that they can press out of the olives is regular olive oil and usually taste terrible.

Answer 7

yes they do differ from ordinary olive oil. it depends on the purity of the oil and at what stage of the oil press that the oil is extracted and bottled from...
extra virgin is best, then virgin, then ordinary.

Answer 8

Olives are pressed to extract the oil, the first time it is pressed is referred to as "extra virgin", that's why it is so darka nd potent.
Any presses after that are light olive oil or regular olive oil.

Answer 9

well ordinary olive oil has participated in sexual intercourse

Answer 10

i think the more virgin it is the more it's been put through a filter or something. idk, i know it from somewhere but idr where