Cooking & Baking

Extra Virgin Olive Oil’s smoke point is generally around 410 degrees which is comparable to other oils called ‘high heat’ oils. But that’s not the whole story. EVOO has a higher oxidative stability than any other oil, which means that it retains it’s beneficial qualities better than other oils when used in cooking, even for uses like deep fat frying (where the recommended temp is 360 degrees) or sautéing, (where temps of 500 degrees are not uncommon). It’s clear that it’s better to use EVOO whenever you can for whatever normal cooking practice you choose. Here’s an article that describes all this: https://health.usnews.com/wellness/food/articles/why-you-should-stop-worrying-about-olive-oils-smoke-points]

The key is to use actual Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It’s important to know that EVOO is one of the most counterfeited and mislabeled food products. Because America doesn’t have an olive oil culture and the typical consumer doesn’t know what real EVOO tastes like, it’s easy for bad actors from around the world to send their junk here and get away with it. The easy solution is to buy EVOO that is produced in America, which mainly means California. But even there you have to beware. There is a Spanish owned company called California Olive Oil Company that has purchase large tracts of olive producing land in California and converted it to fast growing varieties that are grown in rows like grapes. Those olives produce really good EVOO oils. But California Olive Oil Company has been so successful with those that they can’t keep up with demand, so they also sell European, North African and South American oils under their labels. It’s inevitable that oils of dubious provenance and age can become part of the mix. They disclose the provenance of the other oils on the label, but do their best to make it not obvious.

Freshness is also a factor. High quality EVOO will maintain flavor and nutritional quality for up to a couple of years when transported and stored correctly. But if a supplier is starting with an inferior oil, shipping it across one—or often more-oceans, then storing it in a hot warehouse and moving it in sweltering trucks, quality suffers. Responsible high quality producers put the harvest date on their bottles.

Here’s how to taste olive oi so you have a good chance of knowing what you’re getting. Take a sip of olive oil with the volume of about a Lima bean. Note the first flavor impression, especially at the tip of the tongue. Breath in as the oil spreads on your tongue and note the aroma and texture. Next note the flavors at the sides of your tongue. Finally, note the sensation just after you swallow. The first impression should be that the texture of the oil is very light. The tip of the tongue flavor impression may be of lemons. The aroma should be sort of grassy or, as olive people like to say, olivacious, pleasant. The sides of your tongue will note a certain light bitterness, but nothing harsh or disagreeable. Finally, there should be a slight burning sensation at the rear of the pallet after you swallow. This is the real test for extra virgin olive oil. The tasting standards of the World Olive Oil Council and the California Olive Oil Council say that if there is no burn at all, the oil can’t be rated as extra virgin. Note however, that unscrupulous producers will add capsicum to their oil and aromants to give it that burn and make it smell grassy.

The best thing to do is buy California oils from producers who are members of the California Olive Oil Council. There will be a label on the bottle saying so. Trader Joe’s often has excellent California EVOO under their label on the shelf’s around harvest time, which is usually late October, November, or as late as December and even January, depending on the year. Even Costco’s Kirkland brand gets their hands on California EVOO, but you have to read the label closely to know.

Short answer to OPs question: use California Extra Virgin Olive Oil for everything and you won’t go wrong.