Extra Virginity: On Olive Oil and the Olive Oil Industry

Olives, olive oil, and vinegar: classic Mediterranean foods

EcoSalon has an interview with Tom Mueller, author of a new book on olive oil, Extra Virginity.   Regarding olive oil…

Consumption is rising swiftly, quality olive oil shops are springing up nationwide. BUT, there’s zero government control of olive oil quality (the FDA has openly abdicated its legal role), and ignorance of what quality olive oil means is still rampant. Lots of bad oil, sometimes adulterated, is being sold as ” extra virgin olive oil” throughout America.

Here are Tom’s top three tips for choosing an olive oil:

1) Harvest date: must be fresh (within the current harvest year).
2) Who made this, and where? Specific producer and specific location of trees as well as oil-bottling.
3) Mention of specific cultivars (though by no means a guarantee of quality, I’ve found mention of specific olive varieties on the label tends to indicate a more professional/serious oil-maker.

Read the rest.