How to Buy The Best Olive Oil

olive oil

In a post I shared some ways to figure out if the olive oil you are consuming is good. But what should you look for when buying olive oil in the first place?

Let’s say you are in a store to buy olive oil, here is what you need to look at:

1. Expiration date

If the bottle does not have an expiration date do not buy it. And better yet, it should have a harvest date. The reason for this is not that olive oil will go bad in the sense that perishable foods go bad, but that it is old. In my previous post I noted that old olive oil does not taste good and it does not have the health benefits of the fresh olive oil. The older the olive oil the less polyphenols it will have. You should look for an expiration date that is about a year and a half away. If you find that, then that means it has been harvested in the previous year. Usually the expiration date is about 1 ½ -2 years after harvest date. But that does not mean that you should be using it until that date. Ideally, and if you want to replicate what was being done in the traditional Mediterranean diet, you want to consume olive oil within 1 year of it’s harvest date. In other words use olive oil of that year’s harvest. Generally though you should use an open bottle of olive oil in a short period of time.

2. Harvest date

As I have mentioned before, the benefits of olive oil come mainly from the polyphenols and the content of polyphenols is dependent on a few factors and one of them is when the olives are harvested. Early harvest when the olives are partially green results in an olive oil that has a higher polyphenol content, and that also means a longer shelf life. These olive oils have a more herby and bitter taste. Olive oil from late harvest (mature olives) has a more buttery taste, but less polyphenols (antioxidants) and shorter shelf life, in other words it has a quicker loss of its nutritional benefits. So if possible pick a harvest date that that is ideally November or even late October as its harvest date.

evoo label
Example of label that includes olive variety

3. Variety of olive

Yes this is important and more and more producers include the variety of olive they are using on the bottle, the same way wine bottles have the variety of grape. But why is the olive variety important? Well, it tells you a lot. First of all some olive varieties have a very high polyphenol content and that is a good thing as we know.

Olive varieties with high polyphenol content also produce olive oil that is more stable, that means longer shelf life and slower loss of nutrients compared with olive varieties with medium or low polyphenol content.

  • Very High Polyphenol Content: Coratina, Conicabra, Koroneiki, Moraiolo, Picual
  • High: Bosana, Chemlali, Manzanillo, Picholine
  • Medium: Arbosana, Barnea, Empeltre, Frantoio, Hojiblanca, Leccino,
  • Low: Arbequina, Picudo, Taggiasca
Source: International Olive Oil Council

*Keep in mind that many producers/bottlers, particularly larger ones combine different varieties of olive to produce a specific flavor profile.

4. Bottle

Avoid bottles in clear glass as light can affect the oil. Bottles that are made of dark glass are better or not clear at all is even better. Do not be influenced by the shape and design of the bottle either. Many producers feel that good olive oil deserves a state of the art bottle. Sure, but those bottles and designs cost the producers a lot and as a result you are paying more for that olive oil because of the bottle and design. Having said that, some of the best olive oils come in very simple bottles.

SAMSUNG CSC
Harvest date is often stamped on the bottle

5. Olive oil grade

The majority of olive oil you consume should be mostly Extra Virgin Olive Oil. A new report from the U.S. International Trade Commission showed that U.S. consumers are generally unfamiliar with the range of olive oil grades. So before I explain why you should only use extra virgin olive oil let’s just go over the different grades. The International Olive Oil Council has established the following categories-I have added the corresponding U.S. title:

a. Extra virgin olive oil (In the U.S: US Extra Virgin Olive Oil): virgin olive oil, which has a free acidity of not more than 0.8 grams per 100 grams.

b. Virgin olive oil (US Virgin Olive Oil): virgin olive oil, which has a free acidity of not more than 2 grams per 100 grams.

c. Refined olive oil (US Refined Olive Oil) is the olive oil obtained from virgin olive oils by refining methods, which do not lead to alterations in the initial glyceridic structure. It has a free acidity of not more than 0.3 grams per 100 grams. It is basically low quality olive oil that is refined physically and chemically to remove undesirable qualities such a free fatty acids and unpleasant flavor and odor.

d. Olive oil (in the US: US Olive Oil) is the oil consisting of a blend of refined olive oil and virgin olive oils fit for consumption as they are. It has a free acidity of not more than 1 gram per 100 grams.

e. Olive-pomace oil is the oil obtained by treating olive pomace with solvents or other physical treatments. It is blended with virgin olive oils and is fit for consumption as they are. It has a free acidity of not more than 1 gram per 100 grams.

Please look at these titles carefully, I noted the most common you may see at the store. Look at “d.” it says Olive Oil. One would think that olive oil is olive oil, but in fact it is virgin olive oil mixed with refined olive oil, yes the one that has been chemically processed and contains little to no antioxidants.

Basically you should focus on consuming extra virgin olive oil. Most studies showing benefits of olive oil are referring to extra virgin olive oil, all those other olive oils do not have those benefits, apart from being a source of monounsaturated fats. I also read often that you should use lower grade olive oil for frying due to smoke point. I have talked about this in the past, and it is important to know that in fact extra virgin olive oil has a high smoke point and is more stable then other categories. So unless you plan to deep-fry (which is not something you should do often anyway) extra virgin olive oil is the way to go.

One last thought

There has been a lot of coverage on the news in the past few years about a study showing that imported olive oils failed to meet U.S. quality standards. I will quote Nancy Harmon Jenkins, well known author of several books on Mediterranean cuisine:

“The controversial research clearly indicated that the way oils are handled post-production, in transit as well as at their destination, is a huge part of the problem.” This study did not show that imported olive oils are bad olive oils. Another issue that needs to be noted regarding this study was that the study came out from the University of California, Davis Olive Center that according to Jenkins is “in the forefront of energetic attempts to grow the California oil industry”. She adds that what made it more controversial was when it was revealed that the research was funded by the companies behind two of the California oils that were tested and by the California Olive Oil Council, an industry group, according to Jenkins (read her article here).

In any case, it is important to buy local and if you are able to find good fresh olive oil with a high polyphenol content near you than buy it. But there is something to be said about location, climate, experience and tradition. The olive tree is native to the Mediterranean; this is its natural environment, which influences its taste and nutritional qualities. So be open and shop smart.

Here are some of the interesting facts regarding the top 3 olive oil producers in the world according to a report from the U.S. International Trade Commission that you can keep in mind when shopping.

-Spain-

  • Largest producer of olive oil.
  • Most Spanish olive oil is produced by mill cooperatives. The cooperative system in many cases does not incentivize growers to harvest their olives early and produce quality oil because the formula used to determine payments to the member farmer emphasizes oil quantity over quality—oil yield increases, but quality degrades, as the olive is left unpicked and becomes overripe.
  • There is also a substantial segment of premium olive oil producers in Spain who, like premium producers worldwide, tend to harvest early in order to preserve the flavor and polyphenol content of the oil.

-Italy-

  • Italy is the second-largest producer of olive oil after Spain.
  • Traditionally, olive oil has been considered primarily an Italian product by consumers in the U.S. and European markets, and the association of Italy with olive oil is still prevalent today. Consequently, Italy is home to large blending and bottling operations owned by multinational companies. These companies import large quantities of olive oil from foreign producers, primarily in the Mediterranean region, which is then blended for consistent taste profiles.
  • There is concern throughout the Italian industry that the national brand reputation is at risk of being damaged by low-quality blends that contain very little Italian oil, but are marketed as Italian products.

-Greece-

  • Greece is the third largest producer of olive oil, but little of its oil is exported as a Greek product. Most Greek olive oil is consumed domestically, and most of the remainder is exported to bottlers in Italy for blending with olive oils from various sources.
  • Greece enjoys a reputation for producing high quality olive oil. As much as 80% of Greek olive oil is extra virgin, the highest share in the Mediterranean. Greek oils can be differentiated from others because they have desirable flavor profiles and score well on chemical tests measuring quality. This is partially because oil milled from Koroneiki olives tends to be the highest in polyphenol content and lowest acidity among all olive oils.
  • Greek oils are also considered among the fruitiest and most robust. As a result, they are in high demand by bottlers for blending with other extra virgin oils to raise the overall quality.
  • The Greek olive oil industry has generally poor marketing infrastructure.

30 Comments

  1. Thank you, Elena for shedding light on this subject! I’ve been buying my EVOO from the Kasandrino family for a few years and have never looked back! The oil is from Greece and expiration and harvest dates are on all the bottles. I appreciate their transparency and keeping to their native land/roots in producing their certified organic olive oil. I order online and have a subscription. Here’s their website: https://www.kasandrinos.com/

  2. Elena, your article is a breath of fresh air among the midst of confusion about olive oil in what is called ‘google search.’
    Can you clarify this journey for me even more by sharing what YOUR favorite brand of real olive oil is? I am looking at the Yoleni website you shared. Is that your first choice?

    Thanks,
    Maya

  3. Helpful information. Had no idea about the olive oil I was using. I purchased two different evoo from local grocery store that has harvest date and expiration date. We did a taste test. The lucini Italian premium select had the peppery feel in my throat. So very very different from what I thought was olive oil! Thanks! If I hadn’t read your articles I would have thought something was wrong with it. The other oil by Terra delyssa lacks this.
    I am thoroughly enjoying the information you have posted. Before I started reading your blog I stumbled across your cookbook!
    Wonderful all the way around!

  4. What brand of extra virgin olive oil should I buy. There’s so many and it’s overwhelming buying the correct one. Thanks

  5. Hi Elena,
    In New-Zealand there is a few small olive producers one such one Kapiti makes oil from Picual and has won awards from New-York. Would it be better to buy from these places online if I went into their marketing more than from the supermarket. Thanks Sharron

  6. Hello, I am trying to find some high quality extra virgin olive oil (Coratina, Conicabra, Koroneiki, Moraiolo, Picual) but do you know where I can purchase these? I cannot seem to find these brands at my local grocery store here in Texas.

    Thank you so much for your help.

  7. Good article. In my experience the better oils have a harvest date on the label. Besides providing information on polyphenols, it may be an indication of a producer that cares about quality.

    While it is reasonable to mention potential conflict of interest, from what I’ve read the UC study seems to have been corroborated by investigations carried out in the exporting countries like Spain and Italy. For example:

    http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-business/europe/el-pais-olive-oil-con/9776

    http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-business/europe/prosecutor-accuses-seven-brands-of-olive-oil-fraud/49603

  8. We usually buy/get Spanish Olive Oils here but I would like to know which are their ‘Premium’ brands because as mentioned in the article they are early harvesters and thus more beneficial.

  9. Hi Elena:

    I have been using extra virgin olive oil for about 10 or 11 years. I really like some of the Greek brands, especially the ones from Crete, because they are of very high quality. I usually purchase my olive oils online from specialty retailers. I also like the California Olive ranch brand. It is the best American made brand and it is true 100% extra virgin olive oil. You can buy this brand online at their company website or in major supermarkets in the USA. Vitacost.com also sells this brand. I do not care for the large Italian brands,(colavita, Filipo Berrio, etc). I think that they are watered down, diluted olive oils.

    1. Just wanted to mention there are many small producers of really delicious olive oil in California besides the huge machine harvested companies. I’ve actually got some California Olive Ranch oil in my cupboard right now and it’s good stuff but I try to support the little guys too. You can often get their products by mail directly also e.g. the orchards in the capay valley in northern California.

  10. Brilliant write up Elena! Can I add that some extra virgin olive oils still only have 100mg/kg of polyphenols (as the measure of EVOOs is based on their acidity. This would mean that you have to consume ~50mL daily to lower your carovascular risk. Other EVOOs contain over 1200mg/kg of polyphenols, meaning you can consume much less olive oil but still obtain the health benefits.

    1. Thank you for the link Elena. It’s very challenging to get the harvest date here in the states. I bought some really tasty olive oil out of Tunisia (Terra Delyssa) which has the packaged by date so very deceiving as I’ve read that those are not reliable. I’ve been buying your cookbook and giving it as a gift with a bottle of good quality evoo!

  11. Hi Elena!

    I am so happy to have this information!

    But I am in Florida and don’t know when I’ll get to travel to Greece, so…can you recommend any brands of high quality Koroneiki olive oil available in the US (mail order would be fine, too)?

    1. Hi again,

      I just realized that they have a place in Providence RI which is only about 45 minutes from where we live! Hoping to visit soon. Thank you!

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