Splash It On! Olive Oils

With so many varieties of olive oil flooding supermarket shelves, it’s a slippery business to select the one that fits your needs.

Here are the terms you’re likely to encounter as you dive into the world of olive oil.

Extra Virgin: Considered the finest olive oil—and called EVOO by celebrity chefs—it’s made from the first cold pressing of olives. The result is very mild and delicate flavor. Color ranges from a light yellow-gold to green-gold to green. Generally, the darker the color, the more olive flavor you will taste. Save EVOO for drizzling on salads, splashing on pasta as a finishing touch or for dipping with crusty bread. For one thing, it is too costly. For a second, any but low heat lessens its flavor.
Virgin: Also made from the first pressing, this olive oil has a sharper flavor. Virgin olive oil is good for cooking vegetables and meats that require brief cooking times.
Fino: A blend of extra-virgin and virgin olive oils.
Pure: This is the mildest-flavored olive oil and is made from a combination of refined virgin and extra-virgin olive oils. Good for all-purpose cooking.
Light: A confusing term because it refers to the color, not the fat or calorie content. This olive oil is similar to vegetable oil, which makes it good for any cooking where you don’t want a pronounced olive oil flavor.

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