What is the difference between "Extra Virgin Olive Oil" and regular Olive Oil?

[rml]

Serious answer only.

 

[911paramedic]

The number of pressings it goes through.

first press, second press, third press, etc.

virgin, extra virgin, etc.

 

[iamwiz82]

regular olive oil be a hoe, man!

 

[rudder]

Extra virgin olive has a stronger taste. I am refraining from writing anything else.

 

[thEnEuRoMancER]

Extra virgin oil is oil from the first pressing.

 

[rml]

thanks for the info!!!

You can learn everything from computer, to religion, to politics, relationships, news, and cooking here at this forum!

 

[MichaelD]

Yes, you're correct. Now get COOKING! What's for lunch? 😀

 

[isasir]

This was asked in Men's Health magazine last month.

I believe Extra Virgin is the first press of the olive. This has a stronger taste and is good for salads and anything else that desires the flavor as opposed to just frying something with it.

The second press is virgin olive oil, and anything afterwards is regular olive oil.

 

[yakko]

RishiS is correct.

 

[Moonbeam]

Grades of Olive Oil
The health regulations in Spain define four distinct classes of olive oil:

Virgin Olive Oil (Aceite de Oliva virgen)
Oil extracted from olives by mechanical or other methods which do not modify it's basic properties. This results in a completely natural product which maintains the taste plus chemical and biological characteristics of the olive. Within the Virgin grade, there are actully three recognized quality levels:
Extra (Extra): Oil of the best taste characteristics, and with an acidity level not exceeding 1%
Average (Corriente): Oil with a good taste, and acidity levels not exceeding 3.3%
Strong (Lampante): Inadequate taste or acidity levels above 3.3%
Refined Olive Oil (Aceite de Oliva refinado)
Oil obtained by refining virgin oil whose taste and/or acidity levels make it unsatisfactory for direct consumption. This is a healthy and perfectly acceptable food product, but it does not have the full taste of virgin olive oil.
Olive Oil (Aceite de Oliva)
This is made by blending both refined and virgin olive oil. This is very much a standard in the marketplace - its properties are somewhere between the previous two.
Pomace Oil (Aceite de Orujo)
Made by refining/processing olive oil pressings [pomace/marc/orujo]. The least expensive type, no real taste and used primarily for deep frying.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

I only buy EV; to me it has by far the richest flavor.

 

[Vincent]

Non-extra virgin olive is often extracted through chemical techniques using solvents. I would stick with extra virgin olive oil.

 

[b0mbrman]

I guess you'd use the 6th definition of virgin here...

6. Obtained directly from the first pressing: virgin olive oil.

 

[Thegonagle]

<< Non-extra virgin olive is often extracted through chemical techniques using solvents. I would stick with extra virgin olive oil. >>

Absolutely! Extra virgin or virgin is the only way. Save the solvents for stripping paint.