Ranking of the 4 most well-known quality olive oils

Of course there is not just one quality class of olive oil. Nor are there hundreds of different classes. But a distinction is important, because the category – extra virgin olive oil – clearly stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Extra Virgin olive oil

Let’s start right away with the showpiece. This is the “hors catégorie”, in which Gkazas naturally falls. Virgin olive oil (without heating) with mechanical presses. This results in the highest quality oil, because no chemical process is involved. The acidity of extra virgin olive oil should not exceed 0.8 percent and the really good presses even try to stay below 0.5 percent. This results in a rich taste and an olive oil where all natural vitamins and minerals have been preserved. Very suitable to use cold with a salad, but, as we already know, also great for cooking and baking. In short: the elite olive oil!

 

Virgin olive oil

We leave the “hors catégorie” and descend the ladder. The non ‘extra’ variety is called virgin olive oil and this is mainly because of the slightly higher acidity. This may reach a maximum of 2 percent. The aim is to keep the taste, color and aroma as authentic as possible. But this is not always achieved. The olives are of lower quality or already a bit riper when pressing and therefore a bit more acidic. The virgin olive oil, which is often cheaper, lends itself well to vinaigrettes and baking. It is clear that this (often cloudier) oil cannot match the extra virgin variety in terms of taste, aroma and content.

Refined types of olive oil

On paper, this is a qualitatively weak type of olive oil. A lot cheaper and therefore of significantly less quality. This is due to the refining of the olive oil during the first pressing. Refining involves removing some ‘impurities’ from the oil, but this makes it lose some of its flavor and aroma. This refined oil is often mixed with other virgin olive oils to give it some flavor and aroma. In addition, other oils such as sunflower oil and soybean oil are often added. This is allowed as long as the acidity does not exceed 2.5 percent. Often the whole is an industrial process in which several pressings take place and the biological basis (the love for the product) disappears. In short, we see this olive oil as cursing in church.  

 

Olio d’Oliva

We hit rock bottom. This is the black sheep among the different quality classes. It is the simplest oil available and is obtained after heating the pulp left over from cold pressing. It has a high acidity and is only suitable for baking and frying, because all healthy substances and aromas have actually disappeared. This oil is also often mixed with other oils, as is the case with refined oils. In our view, this oil does not deserve the title ‘olive oil’.

Positive note!

Let’s end on a positive note, of course, because we try to protect you from consuming any oil other than extra virgin olive oil. Take a look at our webshop or on our Facebook page, there you will see that Gkazas Olive Oil is available in many different sizes and even available in a 50ml can to taste! Not only in the webshop or other trendy shops, various restaurants are already using our olive oil. Enjoy it!