The best olive oil in the world brand. The most expensive oil

Coming to stores for shopping, especially in large supermarkets, every buyer is faced with a wide range of products and, accordingly, the problem of choice. This information about olive oil varieties will help you choose the best for your purposes and navigate well in front of the counter. After all, when we go to buy a certain product, we know approximately how we will use it and in what dishes we will use it.

The gastronomic properties of olive oil depend on its retail grade. So, for example, if you need to improve your diet and take full advantage of the healing properties of olives, then you should be interested in the best olive oil. If you want to use it for stewing and frying foods, then here too you must wisely choose the one that is suitable for these purposes.

Acidity is the main indicator of quality

It should be noted that the quality of this product depends on many indicators, and the most important of them is free acidity, indicating the content of oxidizable organic acids in the final product. Usually acidity is expressed by manufacturers as a percentage, although in fact it is indicated in grams per 100 g of ready-to-use olive oil.

The lower this figure, the more expensive the oil and the more beneficial it is for the functioning of our body, although this point should also be taken into account: manufacturers can artificially reduce acidity. This is especially true for refined varieties, where chemical solvents and reagents are used.

Let's first look at the varieties of olive oil - for better orientation in their labeling. After all, the gastronomic properties of the oil depend on the variety - its taste, smell and ability to withstand temperature influences, preserving beneficial substances. Labels of olive oil varieties

All varieties can be divided into 3 classes:

natural – Virgin, cleaned – Refined and secondary pressing of the cake - Pomace.

The quality control and labeling of products is carried out by the International Olive Council, which has compiled a classification of olive oil varieties and their designations on packages.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a first-press product.

This is the best olive oil! This olive product has a free acidity of 0.8%, i.e. no more than 0.8 g of oxidizable organic acids per 100 g of finished product. The processing process is carried out exclusively by mechanical methods of cold pressing the olives, excluding temperature effects leading to any changes in their properties.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the highest quality oil, obtained using technologies dating back to the times of Ancient Egypt (the only difference is the use of modern equipment). For pressing, only undamaged, ripest olives are taken, which are collected from the trees only by hand.

Virgin Olive Oil

Virgin Olive Oil is also a virgin oil product.

A product with a free acidity of no more than 2%, which is obtained only by mechanical extraction methods and is purified without the addition of chemical reagents. For this pressing, fruits of varying degrees of ripeness can be used, but if, as a result of pressing, an acidity level of more than 2% is obtained, then the entire pressing is sent for refining, as it does not meet the requirements for the Virgin class.

Refined Olive Oil

Refined Olive Oil – refined extraction of olives. Recyclable and purified with minimal changes to its composition. Has an acidity of no more than 0.3%.

Olive Oil or Pure Olive Oil

Olive Oil or Pure Olive Oil is pure olive pomace.

This is a mixture of Refined oil and natural Virgin, with a free acidity of 1%.

Olive Pomace Oil

Olive-pomace Oil is a secondary extraction from the remaining olive pomace.

This product is obtained from olive pomace, which is processed both by various physical methods and by natural solvents. It is permissible to use not only natural solvents, but also chemical ones, as well as high temperatures.

Refined Olive Pomace Oil

Refined Olive pomace Oil is a refined analogue of the pomace product.

This product is obtained from raw cake using processing methods that do not lead to changes in the basic properties of the final product. Free acidity – no more than 0.3%.

Olive pomace oil

Olive pomace oil is a mixture of refined pomace oil and a blend of various olive oils (unrefined and refined).

This product has a free acidity of about 1%. Not approved for sale to consumers in all countries. This product cannot be called olive oil, although it cannot be called unfit for human consumption either. Widely represented in our retail chains, especially under the brands of large retail supermarkets.

It is not difficult to understand which olive oil is the best by analyzing the classification of the expert International Olive Council, which is used by all leading olive oil producers.

Having studied all the oil labels, we can now move on to the issue of using each retail variety. Remember when we said that oil should be chosen for specific purposes?

Use in cooking

The healthiest way to consume olive oil is as a salad dressing. It can also be used as a main ingredient in marinades and cold sauces. For these purposes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is more suitable than other varieties - a pure organic product that has an impressive range of beneficial properties.

It should be noted that the fresher the Extra Virgin, the more bitter it is and not the other way around! The product will have a distinct olive flavor, but with different nuances as it comes from different olive varieties, degrees of maturity and growing areas. Within six months after spilling, the oil gradually loses its bitterness and becomes softer in taste. The shelf life of Extra Virgin is 1.5-2 years.

For stewing and frying foods, the Olive Oil variety is used - an excellent quality oil that can also be used for dressing salads and sauces. This type of product is ideal for cooking meat and vegetables, since it does not form carcinogenic substances. This is due to the presence of stable fatty acids in it, which increase the smoke point, which becomes much higher than the normal frying temperature.

Olive Oil also does not have a distinct taste or smell of olives, and is not bitter, which is why it is preferred to be used in cooking all over the world.

If you still want to switch to cooking using olive oil instead of the usual sunflower oil, but Olive Oil is a little expensive for you, then the Pomace Olive Oil variety may be an acceptable option for your family. Although it does not have such a rich composition as Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Olive Oil, it is of quite acceptable quality. It contains the same monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, but in smaller quantities.

Pomace Olive Oil is suitable for frying and sautéing, and also shows its best qualities in baking. Flour products do not go stale for a long time, remaining fluffy.

For cleansing procedures (taking the oil on an empty stomach), you should use only Extra Virgin Olive Oil. For the preparation of oil infusions of medicinal herbs and other ingredients (infusions or macerates), only the highest grade of product is also suitable.

Use for medical and cosmetic purposes

In home cosmetics, as well as in factory ones, only the first cold-pressed bottle is used - Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Only this and nothing else!

So, let's summarize:

In the markets of post-Soviet countries you can find olive oil of three retail varieties:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – natural product of the highest quality
• Olive Oil – a mixture of natural Virgin oil and refined Refined Olive Oil
• Pomace Olive Oil – a mixture of Refined pomace and Pure Olive Oil

The main producers of the olive product are Spain, Italy, Greece and Tunisia. The largest volume (up to 80%) of Extra Virgin Olive Oil is produced in Greece. Greek production volumes are purchased by foreign companies for further use in mass production of the product.

How to choose the right olive oil

The name may indicate not only the retail variety itself, but also the manufacturer’s brand name. Also, natural olive oil can often be labeled with the variety of the olives themselves or the province of their growth. One way or another, the retail variety must be indicated.

By label

The label must necessarily indicate the manufacturer, as well as the importer and exporter with telephone numbers and addresses. High-quality oil is bottled by the manufacturer himself, so if it is produced in one country and bottled in another, then the quality of such a product may not correspond to the declared one.

Also pay attention to the bottling date. Olive oil is not wine! Over time, it loses its healing qualities, especially the Olive Oil variety. The maximum shelf life from the date of bottling is 12 months, with the exception of Extra Virgin.

By color

Choosing the right olive oil by color is impossible! The color of the product depends on various reasons and can range from light yellow to dark green, even brown. First of all, the color of the product is given by the condition of the olives themselves, i.e. their ripeness. If green olives are used to press the oil, the color will vary in different shades of green.

This product has a pronounced olive taste and bitterness. If ripe olive fruits are pressed, the color will be yellow, often with a purple tint. The brown color is obtained if the olive is pressed from the ripest fruits (often this oil has a slightly sweet taste).

By packaging

Traditional packaging is a dark glass bottle to protect the product from light and destruction. Disadvantages: fragility, weight and incomplete protection from light exposure. Advantages – you can visually examine and evaluate the contents.

A more modern and technologically advanced packaging is a tin can. The metal sheet used has a special coating that completely eliminates oxidation of the product. Advantages: does not allow light to pass through, lightness and low cost. Disadvantage: inability to evaluate the content.

We hope that after reading our detailed information on how to choose olive oil, and which is the best of all those presented on our market, the choice will no longer be so difficult for you.

We wish you to consciously choose what to eat and how to eat!

About 400 companies supply olive oil to Russia. Most of the approximately 80 thousand tons of its exports come to us from Spain, Italy, Greece, Tunisia and Portugal. How to choose a truly high-quality product from this variety?

The most juice

The best and most expensive olive oil is the one with the inscription extra virgin (vergine, vierge) on the label. This term means that we have a completely natural product, produced exclusively mechanically, without the use of chemicals, and there are no flaws or shortcomings in the taste of the oil. It differs from just virgin, ordinary virgin and lampante virgin by its higher content of oleic acid.

Extra virgin oil is made using ancient technologies, only slightly modernized. For example, even today in many farms olives are harvested by hand. The maximum of mechanization is the use of a special device, similar to a rake, with which olives are shaken from the branches. The fact is that due to mechanical damage, raw materials quickly deteriorate, which worsens the taste of the product. The olives are washed, crushed together with the pits, placed under a press and the oil is squeezed out of them.

Taste and color

The color of olive oil depends on the region of growth, variety and degree of ripeness of the olives and ranges from greenish to golden. There is no single standard for its taste. Thus, Italian tasters count about 400 “versions” of extra vergine - according to the number of olive varieties. The most refined oil is the one with a slight artichoke flavor. The uninformed consumer should know: the best types of oil are slightly bitter! But oil can be really bitter if it is made from unripe olives. Disadvantages also include the taste of canned vegetables, fermentation, the smell of earth (if the raw materials are poorly washed), as well as the lack of a specific taste and smell inherent only to olives. The most common defect is the rancid smell that appears.

The main criterion for the quality of olive oil is its acidity. The lower this figure, the better. Manufacturers, as a rule, do not display this parameter on the label. And if they do this, it is solely for advertising purposes.

You can test olive oil for naturalness at home. Place the product in the refrigerator for two to three days. If a white precipitate appears - stearin - you have made the right choice. When stored at room temperature, olive oil will regain its original clarity and you will be able to enjoy the natural taste of “liquid gold”.

To the last drop

To literally squeeze every last drop out of the olives, the pomace is re-pressed under high temperatures and chemical agents. The resulting oil is suitable for cooking, but in terms of beneficial properties it is inferior to extra virgin. On labels such oil may be designated as “pure”, “for frying”, Pure, Pomace. Often this oil is a blend of olive oil with cheaper varieties of vegetable oils, in particular sunflower oil, which should be indicated on the label.

Useful facts

✓ Frying in unrefined oil causes a lot of controversy. The “flash” temperature of extra virgin, at which the oil begins to decompose, forming harmful substances, is 160ºС. However, all of Europe fries with extra virgin! The fact is that housewives mainly use sauteing, in which the oil is heated to a completely harmless 120ºC. The transition through the “critical line” occurs only when deep-frying, and this method is used infrequently.

✓ Researchers from the University of Philadelphia believe that olives have the ability... to reduce pain. Scientists made a similar conclusion after they discovered that fresh olive oil irritates the walls of the throat in the same way as the painkiller ibuprofen does.

✓ In 100 g of butter there are 32 g of unsaturated (“good”) fats, and in 100 g of olive oil there are 84 g!

Expert opinion

Tatyana ANOKHINA, head of the testing center GEAC "SOEX" of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation:

The quality of any vegetable oil is determined by its fatty acid composition. According to this indicator, all today's competitors meet the requirements for olive oil. Another important indicator of quality and safety is the peroxide value (active oxygen content). Our oils are not only normal, but significantly below the maximum permissible level. No toxic elements, pesticides, benzopyrene, radionuclides or GMOs of plant origin were found in the samples. And the organoleptic indicators of the subjects (appearance, taste, color and smell) turned out to be beyond praise. Let's admit, choosing the winners was very difficult! But a competition is a competition. And the first place in it was taken by MONINI olive oil. Silver went to BORGES oil, and bronze to ITLV oil.

Text: Evgenia Danilova

Test: olive oil*

* Thank you for your help in conducting the GEAC “SOEX” test

Very valuable in its composition and unique in properties olive oil obtained from the fruit of the European olive. And for countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain, this product is a source of national pride. It is also not surprising that between them there is no matter how public rivalry and a long-standing dispute, which makes many wonder - so, which country’s oil is better?

In addition, it is necessary to take into account the fact that in addition to the disputing countries, olive oil is also produced in Turkey, Syria, Tunisia, Morocco, Portugal, the USA and France. And even though the latter account for a much smaller percentage of the total oil production in the world, they still have the right to claim the palm in terms of the quality of olive oil.

In order not to offend any of the main producing countries, we will consider the features of their products in order corresponding to the amount of oil consumed per capita per year.

Greek olive oil

It is the Greeks who are the undisputed leaders in olive oil consumption - on average, every resident of Greece consumes about 24 kg per year. But in terms of the amount of oil produced, they are in third place after Spain and Italy. This is explained by the fact that oil in this Mediterranean country is made mainly for domestic use. They do it, not produce it, and with the help of, so to speak, semi-handicraft methods and secrets that are passed on from generation to generation.

Maybe thanks to these ancient methods, Greek olive oil is brighter and richer in taste. Its taste is also distinguished by the presence of honey notes and some fruity aromas.

It is in the Greek provinces - Kalamata, Laconia, Kranidi - that the climate is most favorable for growing olives, which thousands of families successfully do on their farms. And conservative methods make it possible to make the largest amount (approx. 80%) of oil first cold spin.

Spanish olive oil

The Spaniards are in second place in terms of oil consumption per capita - about 14 kg per year and in first place in terms of the amount of its production. And not only! The production itself is equipped and organized, as they say, with the latest technology. All work is automated, which makes it possible to produce olive oil.

Regarding taste characteristics Spanish oils, then it has a sharp aroma and a bitter, peppery taste. We can say that it more than others resembles the taste of the olives themselves, and for this purpose the Spaniards often mix several varieties at once, but never with other vegetable oils.

Italian olive oil

In Italy, every year each resident consumes an average of about 13 kg olive oils.

And fully mechanized labor allows this country to maintain third place in the production of “liquid gold” in the world. Which, however, does not exclude the existence of private farms that produce it by hand. The quality, and therefore the price, of such oil is usually much higher.

Soft, slightly sweet in taste, with a subtle scent of herbs - this is the bouquet Italian olive oils. In addition, this is where oil is produced with the addition of various herbs and spices - oregano, chili, rosemary, garlic, etc.

So which oil is better? The answer is clear - 100% natural, but for the rest you need to rely on your own taste.

You can have different attitudes towards the fact that there are food products in the world that are obscenely expensive. The taste of such food may be controversial, but the fact remains that each of the products on our list costs much more than the subsistence level for the average family. This does not prevent such products from having a stable demand among connoisseurs - some people are willing to spend a lot of money for exquisite taste. We've found the most expensive food items you can buy.

- Melon-yubari -

Yubari melon can very much resemble a regular melon in appearance, but such a melon crop is much more expensive. The traditional Japanese variety of melon grows in only one place on the islands and ripens once a year - which is when you can buy yubari melons for the modest price of a thousand dollars apiece.

- Japanese watermelons -

The Japanese value everything grown on their native soil so much that they are willing to pay a lot of money even for an ordinary watermelon grown on the rocky soil of the archipelago - the record price was $6,100 for a watermelon that weighed about 7.7 kg.

- Saffron -

The most expensive spice in history, saffron is a thin, delicate strand from the pistil of a flower that grows in Southeast Asia. The fragrant treasure costs about $120 per gram.

- Vanilla -

Natural vanilla is extracted from the plant of the same name, the cost of which can reach $100 per 100 grams of product.

- Matsutake mushrooms -

The world's most expensive Matsutake mushrooms are found in several parts of the world, including Europe, Asia and North America. They are prized by the Chinese and Japanese and can cost up to two thousand dollars per kilogram.

- Truffles -

Truffles are incredibly difficult to find and completely impossible unless you have a specially trained pig or dog. The rich, earthy taste of truffles is appreciated by gourmets from all over the world and they are willing to pay large sums for this pleasure. The record price is $160,000, which was paid by an anonymous gourmet from Hong Kong for a mushroom weighing 1.5 kilograms.

- Lambda Olive Oil -

Olive oil can be quite an expensive product - this depends on the quality of extraction and production. However, the most expensive bottle of Lambda brand oil will cost you about a hundred dollars. Lambda oil has officially set a Guinness World Record for the most expensive olive oil in the world.

- Aceto Balsimico Tradizionale -

Modena's black gold - traditional Aceto brand balsamic vinegar can be quite expensive - from one hundred dollars for a 12-year-old vinegar to two hundred dollars for a 25-year-old.

- Kopi Luwak Coffee -

The same coffee of the Kopi Luwak variety, which is made with the participation of the digestive enzyme of a feline animal. The semi-digested grains are washed and fried, and then sold for five hundred dollars per 300-gram package.

Russians became acquainted with olive oil relatively recently; its categories, grade and selection criteria are not known to many. This article is devoted to the topic of which brand of olive oil is better among similar products. In addition to the rating review, the material provides information about the benefits of olive oil, methods of obtaining it, quality standards and selection criteria.

The value of olive oil and its differences from others

A unique feature is that it grows on average for about 500 years and actively bears fruit throughout its entire life. Moreover, some trees are 1500 and even 2000 years old. These are the ones that grow on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem.

Which brand is best to use for salads is a very pressing question, especially on the eve of the vegetable season. Salads with it are very tasty and healthy. Olive oil contains a lot of vitamins and nutrients. In particular, it contains vitamins A, E, D, K, as well as polyphenols. They have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system, digestion and skin condition.

Compared to other types of oil, olive oil is highly digestible due to its high content of oleic acid, which is the main fatty acid in the human body.

Methods for obtaining olive oil

Raw olives are inedible and unsuitable for eating as they have a very bitter taste. To get rid of it, the fruits are soaked in a special solution. Despite this, the best brands of olive oil often have a specific bitter smell and taste, which not everyone likes. This should be kept in mind when choosing oil.

The process of making the product is that the pitted fruits are thoroughly crushed, constantly stirring the mass. After this procedure, the oil is squeezed out of the olives using special centrifuges. This is how virgin oil is obtained. It's always a little bitter.

The remaining cake is reused, extracting the second-press oil. It is purified from impurities and bitterness using chemical reagents, so it does not have an unpleasant odor or taste.

Types of oil by production methods

Depending on the markings used on the label, the oil differs in the method of preparation. Possible labels: Virgin, Refined, Pomace .

• Virgin is a natural oil obtained by cold first pressing. This product retains all minerals and vitamins. It has only one drawback - it has a limited shelf life. Housewives all over the world are sure that Virgin is the best olive oil. The brand (reviews confirm this) is in great demand.
• Refined- also natural olive oil, but refined using physical and chemical processes. Refining occurs as follows: the fruits of the olive tree are ground and filled with a chemical solvent, an analogue of gasoline - hexane. Under its influence, oil is released from the fruit, which is drained. Remains of hexane are removed using water vapor, then with alkali. At the next stage, the product is bleached and deodorized.
• Pomace— olive products obtained by secondary extraction using physical and chemical technologies.

Virgin olive oil

• Extra virgin olive oil— the best brands of Extra Virgin olive oil, obtained by cold first pressing, are produced with this designation. The acidity of such oils does not exceed 0.8/100 grams.
• Virgin olive oil- this is a marking for virgin oil, the acidity of which is no more than 2/100 grams. This product is obtained from olives that have been subjected to mechanical or physical stress, including temperature. Such oils were purified only with natural components and certain technologies - water, filtration, decanting, centrifugation.
• Ordinary virgin olive oil- This is also a virgin oil, the acidity of which does not exceed 3.3/100 grams. In its production, only natural (virgin) methods were used.

Refined olive oil

This oil is obtained from virgin raw materials by refining. Its acidity is 0.3/100 grams. This product is obtained using physical and chemical technologies aimed at eliminating odor, acidity and bitter taste. These oils are considered to be of lower quality.

Pomace olive oil

• Olive-pomace oil- a product that consists of a mixture of refined and virgin oil. Its acidity is 1/100 gram. A similar characteristic applies to those oils that are obtained by pressing from cake using solvents and other physical procedures.
• Refined olive-pomace oil— oil from cake obtained by refining using physico-chemical technologies. The acidity of this product is 0.3/100 grams.

Quality criteria

• Acidity- means the level of oleic acid content in 100 grams of the product. This indicator does not affect the taste. It is believed that the lower the acidity, the higher the quality of the oil.
• Color. Shades of oil can be in the yellow and green ranges - depending on the type of fruit, their ripeness and processing method.
• Aroma. Oil that has been exposed to sunlight for a long time loses its aroma. Normally, its odor is determined by a number of volatile substances - alcohol, hydrocarbon, aldehyde, ethers.
• Taste. Natural oil has a very rich, intense, bitter-sweet or salty taste. A bad sign is a rancid taste that is watery, vinegary, or metallic.
• Best before date. The parameter you should pay attention to here is the bottling date. The fresher it is, the better the quality of the product. This is why olive oil is never bought in reserve. Bottles with it should be stored in dark cabinets in dark glass containers. The shelf life of the oil should not exceed 1 year.

Another significant characteristic of real olive oil is that when stored in the refrigerator, it falls to the bottom in large flakes. Do not think that the product has gone bad, as it is very correct. Once the oil warms up, the flakes will disappear. However, experts do not recommend storing it in the refrigerator. Preference should be given to dry, shaded places.

The bottle cap must close very tightly. Very important: oil should be stored in glass or metal jars. A real high-quality product is never sold in plastic, as it is capable of breaking down the top layer of polyethylene, as a result of which it ends up in food. The same, by the way, applies to other types of vegetable oils. The best brands of olive oil are unrefined, which is something to keep in mind first when purchasing this product.

Organoleptic quality assessment

When tasting oils, professionals note that they should taste like fresh olives. In addition, there may be a smell of freshly cut grass and torn lettuce leaves. Even chocolate and anise scents are allowed.

In order to understand the richness of the taste of this product, it is heated to a temperature of +200 ° C, after which it is applied to a glass plate in a thin layer and ground. The best olive oil (the brand does not matter here) corresponds to the above characteristics.

When assessing color, the oil is poured into a glass in an amount of 50 ml and viewed through reflected light against a white background. The important thing is that not only the color is evaluated, but also the different shades of color. It is believed that the greener the product, the higher its quality. In fact, this is only partly true, since the color of the oil depends on the type of fruit it is produced from.

Therefore, you should focus here on a combination of indicators: color, smell, taste. If the oil is yellow in color, but smells aromatic and has the right taste, then this indicates that, most likely, black olives were used to make the product, not olives.

Olive oil rating

It is not so easy to answer the question about which brand of olive oil is better. Experts are conducting complex research to answer this question. Here are the results of one of them. In 2014, the well-known product quality assessment agency, Research Center NPE Test, conducted a comparative study of 11 well-known brands of Extra Virgin olive oil. When evaluating products, the following parameters were considered:

• brand authenticity;
• compliance of the composition with the declared one;
• ultraviolet absorption;
• organoleptic evaluation of properties.

The best olive oil (brand, photos are specifically presented in this article) must meet all of the above requirements. The following brands participated in the study: Mana Gea, "Premiya", Borges, Maestro de Oliva, "Hellas", ABEA, Costa d'Oro, ITLV, Monini, Oscar and Ravika.

Oils from Mana Gea, "Premia", and Borges deserved an "excellent" rating. Maestro de Oliva oil was inferior to the leaders, earning a “good” rating. All these products fully comply with the Extra Virgin label. Therefore, the answer to the question of which brand of olive oil is better in this series is obvious: it is the one that corresponds to its category in all respects.

The remaining 7 brands also turned out to be acceptable olive oils, but they were inferior to the rating leaders in a number of parameters, resulting in their rating being “poor.” This means that they do not meet the Extra Virgin label.

Choosing the right oil

It should be noted that the answer to the question of which brand of olive oil is best does not explain whether that oil is suitable for a particular culinary task. For example, experienced chefs keep several types of olive oil on their table. Let's determine which of them is most suitable for certain dishes.

So, the best olive oil for salads is Extra Virgin oil. It will also be an excellent “companion” for pizza, pasta, milk porridge and other dishes that allow you to taste the product.

However, it is completely unsuitable for frying. Which brand of olive oil is best for stewing, baking and frying? Refined grade oil. The fact is that Extra Virgin is rich in minerals, which break down when frying, forming carcinogens and smoke. Refined oil is cleared of these substances, so it can be safely used for frying and preparing other dishes that require high-temperature processing.