Why should you always choose a quality Extra Virgin Oil?

Olive oil is a cornerstone of the home kitchen, used every day. A high-quality, genuine cold-pressed olive oil is delicious and also very healthy. To be sure that you're getting an authentic, healthy and tasty oil, good traceability is key.

“High-quality cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil has many well-known health benefits. According to research, it helps lower cholesterol and prevents cardiovascular disease. The antioxidants and polyphenols in the oil also help prevent inflammation in the body,” says Olivo's shopkeeper Anne Parkkinen.

“A top-quality oil can even make us look younger, because taken internally it also nourishes the skin and hair – it even makes a pet's coat shine again.”

The taste of cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil is completely different from that of the cheap blends sold in supermarkets.

“A quality olive oil often appeals to the whole family, including small children, who are often tempted by a good oil to eat salad and dip bread in the oil. Children's sense of taste is surprisingly sharp and impossible to fool.”

Read more about olive oils: how to choose a quality oil for your home kitchen >>

Italy alone has around 400 different olive varieties. Olive varieties taste different from each other, just as different grapes produce different wines. The flavour of an olive oil depends on the olive varieties used, where the trees grow, the climate and the production process.

The best oils are produced on estates that respect nature and practise sustainability. Well-tended olive groves yield first-class olives as the raw material for the oil. Hand-picking and a fast production process affect quality. When the olives are cleaned, pressed and bottled within a few hours of harvest, the result is an excellent extra virgin olive oil.

“The olive trees are tended and cared for, just like the vines on the best wine estates. This is reflected in the first-class quality of the olives and the oil pressed from them.”

“Olive oil is a fresh product, and when pressing or centrifuging and bottling are done without oxygen under a nitrogen blanket, it helps preserve the flavour and nutrients.”

On the best olive estates, the pressed oil is stored in steel tanks under a nitrogen blanket until it is bottled and delivered to the point of sale.

Explore Olivo's range of olive oils >>

Anne's picks from Olivo's range:

For salads and starters:
“Try, for example, Tradizionale or Verdi from the Frantoio di Santa Téa range, which are very versatile oils. Ursini's Solo Gentile is also an excellent choice.”

For bread and finishing pasta and risotto:
“The green-olive Verdi works brilliantly, but also try the full-bodied, slightly spicy Nere, pressed from black olives.”

For everything in the kitchen:
“If you want a versatile, high-quality olive oil for your home kitchen that can also be used for frying, I recommend, for example, La Pieve, Terre Abazia or L'o Premium from our range.”

Explore Olivo's range of olive oils >>