Often referred to as "liquid gold", olive oil has been used and lauded for its different benefits as documented in ancient literature. Olive and olive oil's roots can be traced to the Mediterranean region where olive was used as a symbol of wealth, peace, and fame. It also became a staple in daily life, specifically in diet where olive is used in many different types of dishes, cooked or uncooked.
Fast forward to the present times, olive oil is widely used not just in cooking but also for health and beauty. With many choices of different types, it could be quite hard to choose which bottle of olive oil is the best choice. Here we will lessen that struggle by deciphering what labels like extra-virgin and pure mean and help you pick the best olive oil that suits your taste. Scroll all the way down to our tips section and you will find other great uses of olive oil.
Many use olive oil to make easy salad dressings, for their pasta sauces, and many other dishes. More than the taste that olive oil brings to food, it is known for the many great health benefits it offers.
Unlike other oils, olive oil, especially extra-virgin olive oil, contains healthy fatty acids called monosaturated oleic acid. Studies show that this fatty acid has anti-inflammatory properties.
Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants and vitamins E and K which help prevent and fight chronic diseases and cell damage caused by free radicals. It is also known that extra-virgin olive oil lowers the risk of getting cardiovascular diseases which is one of the most common causes of death around the world.
Interestingly, people from the Mediterranean region or people who consume a Mediterranean diet have a higher life expectancy and lower risk of dying from heart diseases.
When we go to the grocery or look up olive oil in online shopping sites, we are faced with many options and labels like extra-virgin, pure, made from Italy, made from Greece, and many more. It surely does get confusing and often times, we tend to overlook these labels without knowing what they really mean.
Below we listed the types of olive oil according to grade, ranking from the highest to the lowest. An olive oil's grade can be easily determined by checking the bottle's label.
"Made in", "product of", "packed in" – these are some of the labels you’ll also see in a bottle of olive oil. But does it really matter where they come from? Olive oils that are single-sourced mean that all the processes from pressing to bottling are done in the same country.
However, there are olive oils that use a mix of olives from different countries, pressed and packed in various places, and generally, these olive oils tend to be of lesser freshness.
Unlike wine that gets finer with age, olive oil goes bad relatively quickly most especially when it is exposed to sunlight and heat. A good quality olive oil should also be in an opaque or dark-colored bottle.
A bottle of olive oil has so much more uses to it than just cooking. To help you get started, we give you a list of the best olive oils you can buy online now.
₱1,208
Type | Extra-virgin |
---|---|
Amount Content | 2 L |
Image | 1 ![]() La Española | 2 ![]() Kirkland Signature | 3 Bertolli | 4 ![]() Kirkland Signature | 5 ![]() La Española | 6 ![]() Naturel | 7 Del Monte | 8 ![]() Dona Elena |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Name | Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Olive Oil | Pomace Olive Oil | Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Contadina Extra Virgin Olive Oil | Pure Olive Oil |
Features | Fruity Flavor and Peppery Pungency with Slight Bitterness | Kosher and Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil | USDA Certified Organic Extra-Virgin Olive Oil | Mix of 15% Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Refined Oil | Olive Pomace Oil for Deep-Frying and Grilling | Halal Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Infused with Fig Leaves | Made from Freshly-Pressed Hojiblanca Olives | Pure Olive Oil for Sautéing and Light Frying |
Price | ₱265 | ₱1,208 | ₱1,099 | ₱1,199 | ₱320 | ₱320.32 | ₱185 | |
Type | Extra-Virgin | Extra-virgin | Extra-Virgin | Pure | Pomace | Extra-Virgin | Extra-Virgin | Pure |
Amount Content | 500 ml | 2 L | 1.5 L | 3 L | 1 L | 250 ml | 500 ml | 250 ml |
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We mentioned above that olive oil's use is not just exclusive to cooking. Olive oil contains antioxidants and vitamins that are all-around good for the body.
If you have damaged or weak hair use this hair treatment once or twice a week for deep conditioning to make your hair healthy and shiny.
Ingredients:
3-5 tablespoons of olive oil
*You may also add other essential oils like lavender or tea tree oil according to your preference
Procedure:
Before hopping in the shower, warm the olive oil and apply generously to the hair. Focus on the ends first before going to the scalp and massage it. Leave it for about 20 minutes, rinse and shampoo it out.
If you ran out of shaving cream, don't you worry! You can use olive oil in place of your usual shaving cream or oil and what's good about is that it's all natural. Just make sure that you have a sharp and trusty razor in hand!
Like we mentioned earlier, olive oil is rich in antioxidants and vitamins. It also contains squalene which is extremely hydrating for the skin. After showering, while skin is still a little damp, apply olive oil all over the body. Unless you decide to use it as a massage oil, remember that when applying, less is more. You don't want look greasy, right?
Olive oil would not be called "liquid gold" if it weren't for the many benefits it offers. Bottomline is, when choosing olive oil, it would be best to go for the extra-virgin grade because that's the type that contains more benefits than the others. Also, a greener color doesn't mean that it's of higher quality. Choosing isn't as hard as you thought it would be right?
Author: Issa Honda
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