Not like an Extra-Virgin
August 17, 2010 4:18 AM Subscribe
Tests indicate that imported “extra virgin”olive oil often fails international and USDA standards. (pdf) The UC Davis Olive center reports that "69 percent of imported olive oil samples and 10 percent of California olive oil samples labeled as extra virgin olive oil failed to meet the IOC/USDA sensory (organoleptic) standards for extra virgin olive oil."
California Trade Standards for Olive Oil (pdf) define Extra Virgin Olive Oil as
"as evaluated numerically by the mean of a certified taste panel, contains zero (0) defects and greater than zero positive attributes. In other words, more than half of the tasters indicated that it is not defective and has some fruitiness. Extra- virgin oil also must have a free acidity percentage of less than 0.8 and conform to all the standards listed in its category. This is the highest quality rating for an olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil should have clear flavor characteristics that reflect the fruit from which it was made. In relation to the complex matrix of variety, fruit maturity, growing region, and extraction technique, extra virgin olive oils can be very different from one another."
The UC Davis reports notes:
"Sensory tests showed that these failed samples had defective flavors such as rancid, fusty, and musty. Negative sensory results were confirmed by chemical data in 86 percent of the cases. Our chemical testing indicated that the samples failed extra virgin standards for reasons that include one or more of the following:
• oxidation by exposure to elevated temperatures, light, and/or aging;
• adulteration with cheaper refined olive oil;
• poor quality oil made from damaged and overripe olives, processing flaws, and/or improper oil storage."
A class-action lawsuit is pending in California against some manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of "extra virgin" olive oil. Defendants Bertolli, Filippo Beriom Carapelli, Colavita, Mezzetta, and Pomperian.
A statement issued by the The International Olive Council attacks the US Davis report.
"To begin with, the UC Davis study reports results for only 52 samples of 19 brands, which is not statistically significant, and in some cases it does not provide customary details such as the date of collection, best before date, pack type, labelling information, etc. Also, when anomalies are detected in testing of this type, a second check test is usually carried out for confirmation purposes by another recognised laboratory; this has not been done in the UC Davis study. . Moreover, it is important to point out that the methods used in the study (DGF and Australian standards) are not official chemical methods cited in international olive- oil-specific food or trade standards; they have however been adopted by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). They were in fact presented to the IOC but were rejected after scrutiny because they were not reliable. This lack of reliability is the reason for their failure to be included in either the IOC trade standard or EU regulations, or consequently in the Codex Alimentarius standard."
The North American Olive Oil Association - the largest olive oil trade association in the United States and Canada concluded:
“Of the olive oil sold in stores throughout the U.S. tested by the NAOOA, on average approximately 99 percent meets the internationally recognized and science-based IOC standards,”
California Trade Standards for Olive Oil (pdf) define Extra Virgin Olive Oil as
"as evaluated numerically by the mean of a certified taste panel, contains zero (0) defects and greater than zero positive attributes. In other words, more than half of the tasters indicated that it is not defective and has some fruitiness. Extra- virgin oil also must have a free acidity percentage of less than 0.8 and conform to all the standards listed in its category. This is the highest quality rating for an olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil should have clear flavor characteristics that reflect the fruit from which it was made. In relation to the complex matrix of variety, fruit maturity, growing region, and extraction technique, extra virgin olive oils can be very different from one another."
The UC Davis reports notes:
"Sensory tests showed that these failed samples had defective flavors such as rancid, fusty, and musty. Negative sensory results were confirmed by chemical data in 86 percent of the cases. Our chemical testing indicated that the samples failed extra virgin standards for reasons that include one or more of the following:
• oxidation by exposure to elevated temperatures, light, and/or aging;
• adulteration with cheaper refined olive oil;
• poor quality oil made from damaged and overripe olives, processing flaws, and/or improper oil storage."
A class-action lawsuit is pending in California against some manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of "extra virgin" olive oil. Defendants Bertolli, Filippo Beriom Carapelli, Colavita, Mezzetta, and Pomperian.
A statement issued by the The International Olive Council attacks the US Davis report.
"To begin with, the UC Davis study reports results for only 52 samples of 19 brands, which is not statistically significant, and in some cases it does not provide customary details such as the date of collection, best before date, pack type, labelling information, etc. Also, when anomalies are detected in testing of this type, a second check test is usually carried out for confirmation purposes by another recognised laboratory; this has not been done in the UC Davis study. . Moreover, it is important to point out that the methods used in the study (DGF and Australian standards) are not official chemical methods cited in international olive- oil-specific food or trade standards; they have however been adopted by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). They were in fact presented to the IOC but were rejected after scrutiny because they were not reliable. This lack of reliability is the reason for their failure to be included in either the IOC trade standard or EU regulations, or consequently in the Codex Alimentarius standard."
The North American Olive Oil Association - the largest olive oil trade association in the United States and Canada concluded:
“Of the olive oil sold in stores throughout the U.S. tested by the NAOOA, on average approximately 99 percent meets the internationally recognized and science-based IOC standards,”
I've never been so upset to learn about a false claim of virginity since...
I'm not going to finish that joke. Anybody?
posted by twoleftfeet at 4:31 AM on August 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
I'm not going to finish that joke. Anybody?
posted by twoleftfeet at 4:31 AM on August 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
rancid, fusty, and musty
Two of those bands never really made it.
posted by Wolfdog at 4:46 AM on August 17, 2010 [8 favorites]
Two of those bands never really made it.
posted by Wolfdog at 4:46 AM on August 17, 2010 [8 favorites]
Oh, Popeye !
posted by lobstah at 4:49 AM on August 17, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by lobstah at 4:49 AM on August 17, 2010 [6 favorites]
This appears to be rooted in a disagreement about differences between the IOC testing approaches and the California import requirements. Is this assessment correct?
posted by honest knave at 4:49 AM on August 17, 2010
posted by honest knave at 4:49 AM on August 17, 2010
public: I really don't know what to do with this information.
Basically - if it isn't fruity, it's fucked.
posted by vanar sena at 4:54 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Basically - if it isn't fruity, it's fucked.
posted by vanar sena at 4:54 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Ahh, and the UC Davis Center works primarily with Californian olive producers, helped draft the California law, and are now trying to gain "accreditation by the International Olive Council for a fee-for-service olive oil taste panel."
So this is basically a publicity stunt intended to pressure the IOC into accrediting UC Davis's the taste evaluation business.
posted by honest knave at 4:54 AM on August 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
So this is basically a publicity stunt intended to pressure the IOC into accrediting UC Davis's the taste evaluation business.
posted by honest knave at 4:54 AM on August 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
UC Davis, eh? I think there may be a little bit of competition bias going on here!
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 4:55 AM on August 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 4:55 AM on August 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
The proponents of smaller government never consider that things like government inspection of our food is just one of the things that will go by the wayside if they get their wish.
posted by crunchland at 4:55 AM on August 17, 2010
posted by crunchland at 4:55 AM on August 17, 2010
I save money by buying the cheap stuff and dropping in one of those rings dads give their daughters.
posted by monkeymadness at 4:56 AM on August 17, 2010 [6 favorites]
posted by monkeymadness at 4:56 AM on August 17, 2010 [6 favorites]
UC Davis apparently offers a distance course and certification in sensory evaluation, including winetasting. The certification is led by Dr. Guinard, the faculty member who wants to introduce sensory evaluation to the olive oil industry.
posted by honest knave at 4:58 AM on August 17, 2010
posted by honest knave at 4:58 AM on August 17, 2010
Dunno why exactly, but I've never considered the mega-brands of Bertolli, or Colavita to be great sources for EVOO. I buy them when I need some olive oil most suited for sautee where the character and flavor of the oil is not a part of the finished recipe.
Of course, I can assume that the California study is on the up-n-up, but some part of me wonders if part of it is also driven by an "Our EVOO is better than that foreign stuff." California agriculture, god bless 'em, has tried with relative success to steamroll the rest of the ag world because of the sheer size & clout they can wield. In this case, I'm still gonna buy EVOO brands I trust & buy a relatively high grade (I ain't Daddy Warbucks) for dipping & dressing, and Trader Joe's or 365 Organic for cooking.
posted by beelzbubba at 5:02 AM on August 17, 2010
Of course, I can assume that the California study is on the up-n-up, but some part of me wonders if part of it is also driven by an "Our EVOO is better than that foreign stuff." California agriculture, god bless 'em, has tried with relative success to steamroll the rest of the ag world because of the sheer size & clout they can wield. In this case, I'm still gonna buy EVOO brands I trust & buy a relatively high grade (I ain't Daddy Warbucks) for dipping & dressing, and Trader Joe's or 365 Organic for cooking.
posted by beelzbubba at 5:02 AM on August 17, 2010
The proponents of smaller government never consider that things like government inspection of our food is just one of the things that will go by the wayside if they get their wish.
Except this is apparently being done by a state government, and seems like an attempt to throw up trade barriers to foreign producers in order to make things easier for local growers. This actually sounds more like an example of bad government regulation, which is frequently put in place to protect certain business interests.
As long as the stuff is safe, then what's the problem? This is a good example of where branding comes into play. People should buy olive oil from producers they trust, companies who's oil tastes 'wrong'.
---
What's interesting is that it's not really possible to tell whether oil actually came from olives or was synthesized from other types of vegetable oils. So for example if you took 50% olive oil and mixed in canola oil or something, how would anyone know? There are tests you can do, but obviously those tests can be beaten by chemical synthesis.
That's why people rely on taste testing. But anyway, none of that impacts customer safety.
posted by delmoi at 5:02 AM on August 17, 2010
Except this is apparently being done by a state government, and seems like an attempt to throw up trade barriers to foreign producers in order to make things easier for local growers. This actually sounds more like an example of bad government regulation, which is frequently put in place to protect certain business interests.
As long as the stuff is safe, then what's the problem? This is a good example of where branding comes into play. People should buy olive oil from producers they trust, companies who's oil tastes 'wrong'.
---
What's interesting is that it's not really possible to tell whether oil actually came from olives or was synthesized from other types of vegetable oils. So for example if you took 50% olive oil and mixed in canola oil or something, how would anyone know? There are tests you can do, but obviously those tests can be beaten by chemical synthesis.
That's why people rely on taste testing. But anyway, none of that impacts customer safety.
posted by delmoi at 5:02 AM on August 17, 2010
This appears to be rooted in a disagreement about differences between the IOC testing approaches and the California import requirements. Is this assessment correct?
I don't think so, since the researchers are saying that the tested oils fail to meet IOC standards as well.
posted by Forktine at 5:06 AM on August 17, 2010
I don't think so, since the researchers are saying that the tested oils fail to meet IOC standards as well.
posted by Forktine at 5:06 AM on August 17, 2010
The one thing I learned from this is that you can always trust Costco.
posted by Comrade_robot at 5:08 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Comrade_robot at 5:08 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
*Pours copious aceite de oliva virgin onto toasted pan payes rubbed with tomato and sprinkled with local flor de sal topped with jamon iberico* giggles.
posted by adamvasco at 5:08 AM on August 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by adamvasco at 5:08 AM on August 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
Tests indicate that imported “extra virgin”olive oil often fails international and USDA standards
So... will they press charges now?
Thank you very much. I'll be here all week
posted by MuffinMan at 5:12 AM on August 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
So... will they press charges now?
Thank you very much. I'll be here all week
posted by MuffinMan at 5:12 AM on August 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
When will our representatives get out of the pockets of Big Olive?
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:15 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by robocop is bleeding at 5:15 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Depending on the DOE, 52 samples of 19 brands may not be statistically significant to condemn the whole category or to make their overall finding claims, but it definitely is enough to make claims on those 19 brands (assuming appropriate randomness in their sample selection). At a minimum, it would be indicative of the need for a secondary test and a call to action for the USDA and the NAOOA. I'll go further though, these folks are experts in olive oil - which if five leading experts in Olive Oil cultivation produce a document saying "you are pedaling crap", NAOOA should be making the same claims they are making AND saying, "but because of the source of the inquiry and the rigor with which it was conducted, we are taking this extremely seriously, testing the samples according to the proper regulations and expanding the samples to ensure a statistical read. In addition, we will review our test methodology to ensure that our standards are both reasonable and cost effective."
The problem with NAOOA's stance is that it deflects and refuses to acknowledge that something might be wrong. The problem with UC Davis's paper is that it didn't follow current guidelines.
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:15 AM on August 17, 2010
The problem with NAOOA's stance is that it deflects and refuses to acknowledge that something might be wrong. The problem with UC Davis's paper is that it didn't follow current guidelines.
posted by Nanukthedog at 5:15 AM on August 17, 2010
Don't be EVOO.
posted by swift at 5:28 AM on August 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by swift at 5:28 AM on August 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
So this is basically a publicity stunt intended to pressure the IOC into accrediting UC Davis's the taste evaluation business.
I wouldn't be so fast to say that: imported olive oil is an corrupt industry run in part by the mafia and built on adulterating its products.
It's possible to have a conflict of interest, and still be right.
posted by smoke at 5:28 AM on August 17, 2010 [7 favorites]
I'd just like to drop by and report that I use only the finest local, organic, artisanal EVOO made in the traditional way with an olive press and adulterated only by the tears of joy cried by the press operator.
posted by indubitable at 5:31 AM on August 17, 2010
posted by indubitable at 5:31 AM on August 17, 2010
Pours copious aceite de oliva virgin onto toasted pan payes rubbed with tomato and sprinkled with local flor de sal topped with jamon iberico...
So wait, you pour oil on your bacon sandwiches ? ;)
just kidding - I know there's a difference!
I know that food comes from animal body parts and all, but a part of me wants to deny that this is true, so seeing that image linked to "jamon iberico" was just... creepy
posted by bitteroldman at 5:39 AM on August 17, 2010
So wait, you pour oil on your bacon sandwiches ? ;)
just kidding - I know there's a difference!
I know that food comes from animal body parts and all, but a part of me wants to deny that this is true, so seeing that image linked to "jamon iberico" was just... creepy
posted by bitteroldman at 5:39 AM on August 17, 2010
A related post from last month (also containing many punny jokes).
posted by ukdanae at 5:41 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ukdanae at 5:41 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Don't import olive oil; travel to the places that make the stuff well and consume it there.
(Think global, act local.)
P.S. these countries are the famous PIGS: Portugal, Italy, Greece & Spain. They need your foreign exchange and will give you oil for it. Like OPEC, but tastier.
posted by chavenet at 5:41 AM on August 17, 2010
(Think global, act local.)
P.S. these countries are the famous PIGS: Portugal, Italy, Greece & Spain. They need your foreign exchange and will give you oil for it. Like OPEC, but tastier.
posted by chavenet at 5:41 AM on August 17, 2010
The proponents of smaller government never consider that things like government inspection of our food is just one of the things that will go by the wayside if they get their wish.I'm not sure who you've been talking to, but the radical small-government types I hang out with think this is a feature, not an unintended consequence. And as other posters have noted in the thread, this is the type of story they point to as an example of why "All that silly government regulation" is unneeded.
posted by verb at 5:45 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Essential reading on the subject: New Yorker article from 2007 about the adulterated olive-oil trade.
posted by joshwa at 5:48 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by joshwa at 5:48 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's possible to have a conflict of interest, and still be right.
Thanks, Smoke!
posted by honest knave at 5:52 AM on August 17, 2010
Thanks, Smoke!
posted by honest knave at 5:52 AM on August 17, 2010
P.S. these countries are the famous PIGS: Portugal, Italy, Greece & Spain. They need your foreign exchange and will give you oil for it. Like OPEC, but tastier.
Actually Ireland is the I in PIGS. Most olive oil made in Italy is dreadful rubbish, the Spanish and the Greeks produce some good oil but the very best comes from Palestine, Syria, and the Bekaa valley in Lebanon.
posted by atrazine at 6:19 AM on August 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
Actually Ireland is the I in PIGS. Most olive oil made in Italy is dreadful rubbish, the Spanish and the Greeks produce some good oil but the very best comes from Palestine, Syria, and the Bekaa valley in Lebanon.
posted by atrazine at 6:19 AM on August 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
Hmm, considering that "organoleptic" is just a fancy word for "tasting the stuff", and thus eminently subjective, it doesn't seem very appropriate for certification purposes. Plus, in view of the curiously convenient results, one has to wonder whether the samples were adequately anonimised. If not, I'd even question whether a test for olive oil which even the people who invented the stuff can't pass has the correct parameters.
Not to say that the olive oil trade isn't ridiculously corrupt, of course. Consider the history of the EU's olive farming subsidies. At first, farmers were subsidised by oil volume, which led to adulteration on a grand scale. Then, to avoid this, the subsidies were based on the number of trees...leading to egregious double-counting. When the European Commission started using aerial photography to count the trees, pilots were found to have been paid to fly in circles. Now the EC is using satellite imaging...
posted by Skeptic at 6:35 AM on August 17, 2010
Not to say that the olive oil trade isn't ridiculously corrupt, of course. Consider the history of the EU's olive farming subsidies. At first, farmers were subsidised by oil volume, which led to adulteration on a grand scale. Then, to avoid this, the subsidies were based on the number of trees...leading to egregious double-counting. When the European Commission started using aerial photography to count the trees, pilots were found to have been paid to fly in circles. Now the EC is using satellite imaging...
posted by Skeptic at 6:35 AM on August 17, 2010
Hmm, considering that "organoleptic" is just a fancy word for "tasting the stuff", and thus eminently subjective, it doesn't seem very appropriate for certification purposes.
Trained and certified tasters are very reliable, and tend to produce highly repeatable and accurate assessments. The food industry as a whole relies on professional tasters extensively.
This comment was very hard to write without accidentally calling them "professional taters" by the way.
posted by rusty at 6:51 AM on August 17, 2010
Trained and certified tasters are very reliable, and tend to produce highly repeatable and accurate assessments. The food industry as a whole relies on professional tasters extensively.
This comment was very hard to write without accidentally calling them "professional taters" by the way.
posted by rusty at 6:51 AM on August 17, 2010
Except this is apparently being done by a state government, and seems like an attempt to throw up trade barriers to foreign producers in order to make things easier for local growers. This actually sounds more like an example of bad government regulation, which is frequently put in place to protect certain business interests.
Um. Actually. That would be good government.
posted by clarknova at 6:59 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Um. Actually. That would be good government.
posted by clarknova at 6:59 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Extra-Virgin oil: made from especially ugly olives.
posted by fish tick at 7:08 AM on August 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by fish tick at 7:08 AM on August 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
This information has been around and written up from time to time, and, it seems, lax measurements in the US and scamming European farmers work together to allow this
fakery. Thus I buy my olive oil from China, where I expect little and pay less.Besides, I know that buying this way provides a nice income for the workers in China, who can visit our country to help bolster our economy in return.
posted by Postroad at 7:30 AM on August 17, 2010
fakery. Thus I buy my olive oil from China, where I expect little and pay less.Besides, I know that buying this way provides a nice income for the workers in China, who can visit our country to help bolster our economy in return.
posted by Postroad at 7:30 AM on August 17, 2010
chavenet: “P.S. these countries are the famous PIGS: Portugal, Italy, Greece & Spain. They need your foreign exchange and will give you oil for it. Like OPEC, but tastier.”
But don't be fooled; the crime syndicates in those countries will happily sell you (under those fancy Bertolli, etc, brands) absolute shit guised as olive oil. Any olive oil you buy in the supermarket that has these countries listed on it is likely to be trash. It is certainly not the olive oil which is consumed in those countries; heck, most of it couldn't legally be labelled "olive oil" if it was sold in southern Europe at all.
There are people who make really good olive oil in California. Why not use that, if we're so hung up on being local?
posted by koeselitz at 7:48 AM on August 17, 2010
But don't be fooled; the crime syndicates in those countries will happily sell you (under those fancy Bertolli, etc, brands) absolute shit guised as olive oil. Any olive oil you buy in the supermarket that has these countries listed on it is likely to be trash. It is certainly not the olive oil which is consumed in those countries; heck, most of it couldn't legally be labelled "olive oil" if it was sold in southern Europe at all.
There are people who make really good olive oil in California. Why not use that, if we're so hung up on being local?
posted by koeselitz at 7:48 AM on August 17, 2010
Why I remember the big virgin olive oil spill of 1954, the big raised tank just burst and caused the whole town to be slippery for a good 7 months. Thirteen people drowned in olive oil, and 45 horses, too, because they couldn't get out of the way, slipping and a-sliding around.
If you visit residents' basements today, you can still rub a piece of italian bread on the walls and have a yummy treat.
posted by not_on_display at 7:52 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you visit residents' basements today, you can still rub a piece of italian bread on the walls and have a yummy treat.
posted by not_on_display at 7:52 AM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
I always took IOC to stand for "Interplanetary Overlord Cabal", but I've got to be honest, International Olive Council is way, way scarier. Because you know with a name that mundane, that's a front for some really spooky, evil shit.
posted by quin at 7:52 AM on August 17, 2010
posted by quin at 7:52 AM on August 17, 2010
Y'all joke, but most of the olive oil we get imported in this company is pure shit. I'm less optimistic than Koeselitz about the quality of Californian olive oil, but I'd sure like a source for something as deliciously fruity and spicy as the good stuff I've had travelling in Europe.
posted by Nelson at 8:54 AM on August 17, 2010
posted by Nelson at 8:54 AM on August 17, 2010
Indeed, I did a post on this exact subject a month ago, and I want to reiterate a recommendation I made there for a wonderful book:
Olives: The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit by Mort Rosenblum
Therein, you shall find the reason why it's risky to buy Italian OO, and even Greek OO, why Spanish oil is good, but can get no respect due to the Italians, and many many other fabulous stories. I can't recommend it strongly enough.
Bottom line: buy local California OO, or go to Europe or the ME and source it directly.
posted by VikingSword at 9:01 AM on August 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
Olives: The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit by Mort Rosenblum
Therein, you shall find the reason why it's risky to buy Italian OO, and even Greek OO, why Spanish oil is good, but can get no respect due to the Italians, and many many other fabulous stories. I can't recommend it strongly enough.
Bottom line: buy local California OO, or go to Europe or the ME and source it directly.
posted by VikingSword at 9:01 AM on August 17, 2010 [3 favorites]
So does this change the nutritional profile of the oil at all or is this more about the taste? And then if you look at the link rxrfrx posted and it's just the lights I imagine that it doesn't matter at all.
EVOO makes up a large % of my daily healthy fat intake. I'd like to be sure I wouldn't be better off chugging crisco. Hmmpphh.
posted by zephyr_words at 9:04 AM on August 17, 2010
EVOO makes up a large % of my daily healthy fat intake. I'd like to be sure I wouldn't be better off chugging crisco. Hmmpphh.
posted by zephyr_words at 9:04 AM on August 17, 2010
Here's a tip for anyone wondering if their extra-virgin olive oil is the real thing: when you taste it, it should taste very olive-y. Just pour a bit into a glass and drink it. Your mouth should be like, "whoa! olives!" It's about as subtle as sourdough.
posted by ryanrs at 9:12 AM on August 17, 2010
posted by ryanrs at 9:12 AM on August 17, 2010
you can still rub a piece of italian bread on the walls and have a yummy treat.
A gritty, yummy treat, but still....
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:19 AM on August 17, 2010
A gritty, yummy treat, but still....
posted by GenjiandProust at 9:19 AM on August 17, 2010
Hmm, well, what if I actually bought a dozen or so smallish bottles from different vendors, tasted them all in sauces, used them in sautes, as well as just plain off a spoon, and had a clear favorite that was a good balance of flavor, general market availability, and price? What if I used that product almost every day for the four years since I learned how to cook, made food that I loved and was proud of, and fed my family and friends to popular acclaim? What then, UCDavis? Huh?! I have a right to know, goddamnit!!
Seriously? Olive oil imported to the country that spawned McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Old Country Buffet is not as good as olive oil retained for domestic use in Italy, Spain, Greece, and other places I don't get to go? Really? I'm shocked by this revelation...
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 9:48 AM on August 17, 2010
Seriously? Olive oil imported to the country that spawned McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Old Country Buffet is not as good as olive oil retained for domestic use in Italy, Spain, Greece, and other places I don't get to go? Really? I'm shocked by this revelation...
posted by OneMonkeysUncle at 9:48 AM on August 17, 2010
This appears to be rooted in a disagreement about differences between the IOC testing approaches and the California import requirements. Is this assessment correct?
Wrong. This has to do with a combination of America being a dumping ground for rancid, adulterated, and/or poor quality olive oil being sold as high quality oil (at high quality oil prices) to a population that has recently (past 10 years?) been sold on the benefits of good olive oil without the knowledge needed to know what is garbage and what isn't.
These people care about food. They care about olive oil and they care that too much olive oil is cheap oil being sold as the high quality stuff. There's a lot of corruption in big olive oil, and until people know that it isn't going to go away.
UC Davis, eh? I think there may be a little bit of competition bias going on here!
UC Davis does make a small amount of olive oil from their orchards. But it's a tiny tiny amount of oil and it's more of a vanity project than anything else. The guys who get it made are proud of the fact that they can make artisinal quality oil. UC Davis has some gorgeous old olive trees, and for the many decades before they started harvesting and pressing the oil, the fruit just rotted on the ground. The oil pressing started as a bunch of volunteers getting together to pick olives and share in the pressing costs. They were blown away by what high quality oil they got, which was probably part of the reason the olive oil center got started in the first place.
As to what to do with this information? If you live in the United States, generally avoid Italian olive oil. Italian oil is generally more expensive (they are selling the name) and yet worse quality. Definitely avoid generic Italian oils, there's just no way to know what you are getting. There's some really good Californian olis out there which sell for cheaper because they don't need to be imported. Spanish oils are a good bet as well.
Know that olive oil goes bad. It takes longer to go rancid than many other oils, but it doesn't last that long. Don't buy oil that's probably been sitting on the store shelf for months. Don't buy oil that's cloudy. Keep your oil in a place that doesn't get too much light or heat. If your oil tastes fishy it has gone rancid, throw it out. Rancid oil is bad for you.
Full disclosure: I am related is one of the co-chairs of the UCDavis olive center. And this
posted by aspo at 10:50 AM on August 17, 2010 [4 favorites]
Wrong. This has to do with a combination of America being a dumping ground for rancid, adulterated, and/or poor quality olive oil being sold as high quality oil (at high quality oil prices) to a population that has recently (past 10 years?) been sold on the benefits of good olive oil without the knowledge needed to know what is garbage and what isn't.
These people care about food. They care about olive oil and they care that too much olive oil is cheap oil being sold as the high quality stuff. There's a lot of corruption in big olive oil, and until people know that it isn't going to go away.
UC Davis, eh? I think there may be a little bit of competition bias going on here!
UC Davis does make a small amount of olive oil from their orchards. But it's a tiny tiny amount of oil and it's more of a vanity project than anything else. The guys who get it made are proud of the fact that they can make artisinal quality oil. UC Davis has some gorgeous old olive trees, and for the many decades before they started harvesting and pressing the oil, the fruit just rotted on the ground. The oil pressing started as a bunch of volunteers getting together to pick olives and share in the pressing costs. They were blown away by what high quality oil they got, which was probably part of the reason the olive oil center got started in the first place.
As to what to do with this information? If you live in the United States, generally avoid Italian olive oil. Italian oil is generally more expensive (they are selling the name) and yet worse quality. Definitely avoid generic Italian oils, there's just no way to know what you are getting. There's some really good Californian olis out there which sell for cheaper because they don't need to be imported. Spanish oils are a good bet as well.
Know that olive oil goes bad. It takes longer to go rancid than many other oils, but it doesn't last that long. Don't buy oil that's probably been sitting on the store shelf for months. Don't buy oil that's cloudy. Keep your oil in a place that doesn't get too much light or heat. If your oil tastes fishy it has gone rancid, throw it out. Rancid oil is bad for you.
Full disclosure: I am related is one of the co-chairs of the UCDavis olive center. And this
posted by aspo at 10:50 AM on August 17, 2010 [4 favorites]
I'm less optimistic than Koeselitz about the quality of Californian olive oil, but I'd sure like a source for something as deliciously fruity and spicy as the good stuff I've had travelling in Europe.
You live in San Francisco? You should go down to the ferry building and check out the The McEvoy Ranch store. It's really pricey but it's pretty amazing stuff.
posted by aspo at 10:58 AM on August 17, 2010
You live in San Francisco? You should go down to the ferry building and check out the The McEvoy Ranch store. It's really pricey but it's pretty amazing stuff.
posted by aspo at 10:58 AM on August 17, 2010
I don't see the Calaveras Olive Oil Company on here, but I recommend their Dipping Blend. It's great.
posted by homunculus at 11:24 AM on August 17, 2010
posted by homunculus at 11:24 AM on August 17, 2010
Yeah, McEvoy ranch is nice oil but at $22 / 375ml it's awfully spendy. Compare Bertolli at $20 for 1500ml, or about 1/4 the price. Of course the comparison is unfair since Bertolli is flavourless shit, but still, $220 / gallon is a lot of money for oil.
posted by Nelson at 11:41 AM on August 17, 2010
posted by Nelson at 11:41 AM on August 17, 2010
Oh yeah, it's very expensive, but you should only be using it cold. Don't cook with super pricey oils, it's just not worth it. The heat breaks it down to a point where you might as well been using
medium quality oil in the first place.
For cooking Trader Joe's has a Spanish Manzanita oil that's pretty good and cheap. Also there's a California "estate" (though it doesn't say what estate it's from) oil that it comes in a cylindrical bottle and is pretty damn good for the price.
posted by aspo at 11:51 AM on August 17, 2010
medium quality oil in the first place.
For cooking Trader Joe's has a Spanish Manzanita oil that's pretty good and cheap. Also there's a California "estate" (though it doesn't say what estate it's from) oil that it comes in a cylindrical bottle and is pretty damn good for the price.
posted by aspo at 11:51 AM on August 17, 2010
Ooh look, an industry-funded research center in California released a study saying that Californian olive oil is better than imported olive oil. Color me ... shocked.
posted by PsychoTherapist at 1:06 PM on August 17, 2010
posted by PsychoTherapist at 1:06 PM on August 17, 2010
This has to do with a combination of America being a dumping ground for rancid, adulterated, and/or poor quality olive oil being sold as high quality oil (at high quality oil prices) to a population that has recently (past 10 years?) been sold on the benefits of good olive oil without the knowledge needed to know what is garbage and what isn't.
Pretty much bingo. Plenty of people who claim not to like olive oil who've not had good olive oil, even in the specialty shops. I've long since come to expect that I'll be returning bottles that are off or outdated. This stuff does have a shelf live, and yet, check the bottles - more likely than not, you won't find a sell by date (or even production date) printed anywhere. (And even if you do, it's no guarantee of quality.)
I've had good luck with Australian, specifically Red Island, but it seems to have disappeared from my local shelves. Other than that, Spanish. (California harder to get in my east coast neighbourhood, and as too Trader Joe's, I've been disappointed there as well.)
posted by IndigoJones at 1:55 PM on August 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
Pretty much bingo. Plenty of people who claim not to like olive oil who've not had good olive oil, even in the specialty shops. I've long since come to expect that I'll be returning bottles that are off or outdated. This stuff does have a shelf live, and yet, check the bottles - more likely than not, you won't find a sell by date (or even production date) printed anywhere. (And even if you do, it's no guarantee of quality.)
I've had good luck with Australian, specifically Red Island, but it seems to have disappeared from my local shelves. Other than that, Spanish. (California harder to get in my east coast neighbourhood, and as too Trader Joe's, I've been disappointed there as well.)
posted by IndigoJones at 1:55 PM on August 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
I remember once, sitting around a restaurant table at an internet meet-up (no, not mefi) and someone cracked open the bottle of olive oil that was on the table and poured some onto a plate. I don't know if the oil was supposed to be treated this way, or if it was supposed to be merely for decoration, but nearly everyone at the table raved about how wonderful it was. I smelled it on the piece of bread I'd dipped into it and realized at once that it was rancid. I didn't want to spoil their good time, though, so I let them continue to enjoy it.
I'll admit, I'm no expert on fine olive oil, but I'm often amazed how television cooks -- especially one in particular -- go on and on about cooking with "evoo" when they're frying or sauteing something, and I've never understood why they bother, when there are better alternatives with higher smoke points. I figure it must just be shorthand for "I don't have the time or knowledge to explain all the details of oil esoterica, so just use this."
posted by crunchland at 2:51 PM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'll admit, I'm no expert on fine olive oil, but I'm often amazed how television cooks -- especially one in particular -- go on and on about cooking with "evoo" when they're frying or sauteing something, and I've never understood why they bother, when there are better alternatives with higher smoke points. I figure it must just be shorthand for "I don't have the time or knowledge to explain all the details of oil esoterica, so just use this."
posted by crunchland at 2:51 PM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
I failed an international standard once. I'll bet you never even noticed.
posted by sneebler at 10:05 PM on August 17, 2010
posted by sneebler at 10:05 PM on August 17, 2010
I tasted a bit from my big tin jug of cooking olive oil last night. Tasted like oily dust. I'm gonna say that's not extra virgin.
posted by rusty at 11:07 AM on August 18, 2010
posted by rusty at 11:07 AM on August 18, 2010
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posted by public at 4:29 AM on August 17, 2010 [2 favorites]