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Olive Oil


Bottled Olive Oil

Olive oil is an oil that comes from the fruit of the olive tree, which originated in the Mediterranean area. It is produced by pressing olives and has a very high content of monosaturated fats. Olive oil was traditionally produced by beating the trees with sticks to knock the olives off and crushing them in stone or wooden mortars or beam presses. Nowadays, olives are ground to tiny bits obtaining a paste which is mixed with water and processed by centrifugation separating the oil from the pomace.

Today olive oil is mainly used in cooking, but it has been used for medicines, in cosmetics and soaps and as a fuel for oil lamps.
Olive oil is categorised, based on its quality, usually in 3 main types that are always specified on the label:

- Extra virgin olive oil: The most natural quality of olive oil (natural juice) with perfect aroma and taste. Its acidity does not exceed 1%.
- Virgin olive oil: It is natural olive oil, which has  pleasant taste and smell and a maximum acidity of 2%.
- Olive oil: A mixture of virgin olive oil and refined olive oil. It has a pleasant taste and smell, a light yellow-green colour, and its acidity does not exceed 1,5%.

Check that you understand what these words mean in this document
Mortar: a bowl-like vessel used to contain a substance.
Paste: a thick soft substance made by crushing and mixing things.
Centrifugation: the use of the centrifugal force for the separation of mixtures.
To separate the oil from the pomace: to separate the oil from the other remaining substances.

For further reading visit:
Cretan Diet
Cyclades Olive Oil Museum