Recognize good olive oil
Important tips for shopping
There is a huge selection of olive oils available in stores – but many fail.
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When buying olive oil, it’s worth looking twice. Quality class, origin, taste – this is what you should pay attention to.
Olive oil is a staple in many kitchens around the world. No wonder: Not only does it taste delicious, it is also quite healthy. In contrast to butter or coconut oil, it has no saturated fatty acids, which have a negative effect on cholesterol levels. But it shows that not all olive oil is the same Test by Stiftung Warentest from March 2024: Six of 23 olive oils tested failed as “poor”, only four were rated “good”. This makes it all the more important to pay attention to a few things when purchasing.
Look at the quality class
Olive oil is commercially available in different quality levels established by the EU: extra virgin, virgin and olive oil made from refined and virgin oils. Olive oils in the “extra virgin” class (or labeled as “extra virgin”) are the highest quality product. According to EU regulations, they must not have a single sensory defect, such as rancid flavors. In addition, only mechanical manufacturing processes without the addition of heat are permitted. If the bottle also says “cold pressed”, it must not be warmer than 27 degrees Celsius when the oil is extracted.
If the small word “extra” is missing on the bottle, the olive oil is usually missing something – for example, it has quality defects or has a less fruity taste. Slight sensory errors are permitted with oils of this quality class.
Olive oils made from refined and virgin oils are usually frying olive oil. Such frying oils taste rather neutral and are easy to heat.
Origin and year of cultivation play a role
In addition to the quality class, the label should also provide other valuable information: As with wines, the region of origin and location in cultivation also play an important role with olive oil. According to Stiftung Warentest, the harvest year of the olives used is not mandatory, but nevertheless informative.
Information about the harvest is also voluntary – such as which types of olives were used, whether they were hand-picked or whether the oil was filtered. For example, unfiltered oils only have a short shelf life. Typical varieties of olive oil are the intense Picual from Andalusia, the light to medium fruity Arbequina from Catalonia, the spicy Koroneiki from Greece or the mild Leccino from Tuscany.
Good olive oil is a question of price
Price should also play a major role in the purchase decision. Stiftung Warentest recommends spending a little more money. A liter of olive oil of reasonable quality cannot cost less than ten euros. The front runner in the current test has the proud price of 46 euros per liter.
Supposed bargains are often inferior and are usually not produced under fair conditions. But from a health perspective, they are often not particularly valuable and sometimes even harmful.
How to taste olive oil?
Whether an extra virgin olive oil has been mixed with a low-quality oil or other types of oil can only be revealed by laboratories, as can critical pollutant levels. Nevertheless, a trained palate and nose can distinguish between good oils and bad ones.
For the taste test, put olive oil in a glass, cover and warm with your hands – this will allow volatile aroma components to collect at the top of the glass. Then comes the smell test: Depending on the variety and harvest time, olive oil smells green and fruity or sweet and ripe. A good product should smell as intense and harmonious as possible. Then it’s up to the palate: A good oil should be balanced; bitter or sharp impressions should not overpower fruity notes. By the way, bitterness and spiciness are not faults in olive oil, but rather signs of freshness. A noticeably unpleasant smell or taste is a sign that something is wrong with an olive oil.
Packaging is important!
Another aspect that is crucial when buying olive oil is the packaging. It should always be sold in dark glass bottles – clear glass bottles or even plastic bottles are a no-go. Vegetable oils react very sensitively to light, heat and air and then oxidize.
Olive oils in metal packaging should also be consumed with caution, as metals can dissolve over time and migrate into the oil.