The History
Believe it or not, fossilized olive leaves dating back between 50,000 and 60,000 years have been found on some Greek
islands. Agricultural cultivation of olive trees began on the island of Crete in Neolithic times, which goes to show that
Greek ties to the olive tree run very deep.
Top Grades of Greek Olive Oil
Most patrons associate extra virgin olive oil with exceptional quality, aroma, and taste - about 70% of Greece’s olive oil is extra virgin. The oil comes from cold pressing the olives without any added chemicals or hot water processing. Virgin oil, on the other hand, is also derived through pressing, but will be less mild than extra virgin while still offering a fine aroma and taste.
Colour and Clarity
Green oil is usually a product of green olives, harvested before ripening and in some circles highly prized. Golden-yellow olive oil is made from olives that have ripened for a longer period of time, while extra virgin oil comes in both green and goldenyellow hues. Olive oil can also be cloudy if it has not settled, which is not to be confused as an indication of poor quality.
Taste
A bitter or sharp taste usually means that the olives used were not quite ripe. A milder, smoother and perhaps even fruitier
taste is associated with oil made from fully ripened olives.
That being said, taste is all about personal preference, as both unripened and ripened olives make for fantastic olive oils.
Acidity
Patrons should look for olive oil acidity levels under 1%, while extra virgin olive oil should typically be under 0.8%. As far as virgin olive oils go, acidity can be up to 2%, indicating the taste is much less mild. Acidity overall indicates the quality level of an olive oil.
