Olive oil

What is olive oil? About the ingredient olive oil. Including 5,837 recipes with olive oil, nutrition data, photos, where it's found, and video.

Contents

1. About
2. Nutrition facts
3. Where found
4. Food group
5. Weights & measures
6. Recipes5914
7. References
8. Related

About

Mainly there are two grades of olive oil.  Extra-virgin olive oil and olive oil.  Unique among oils, extra virgin olive oil is made from the fresh juice of olives.  Extra-virgin olive oil must contain less than 1% acidity.

Recently olive oil, valued for it's flavor has also gained attention for it's health benefits thought to be helpful in preventing and protecting against heart disease.  Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and Omega 3. 

Flavors vary and color is no indication of the oil's quality.  It can be light and delicate to sweet to bitter or peppery.

Traditionally Olive oil is the cooking medium of the Mediterranean.  Regular olive oil is best for higher temperatures and deep-frying as it has a high smoke point. 

Olive oil can also be used in baking and for the short-term preservation of roated vegetables, wild mushrroms, goat cheese and pesto.

Storage

It should be used as soon as possible after purchase as possible.  If you store it make certain to keep it in a cool and dark cupboard.

Recipes using olive oil

There are 5914 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 5,914 recipes

Created: June 29, 1999 Last updated: over 4 years ago