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What makes Italian Olive Oil the perfect Food Gift?
Italian Olive Oil makes the perfect gift for the health conscious recipient because it shows that you cared enough to come up with something that is thoughtful and good for them.
Sure, flowers or jewelry are nice gifts. But anyone can go to the local superstore and pick out a mass produced piece.
A healthy food gift shows that you thought about what you are buying and if you get the real deal, it shows you care enough to search and get the best of the best. Just see for yourself!
What are the Health properties of Italian Olive Oil?
Well, that could take an entire article to answer, but to synopsize the benefits of this wonderful product we can say it is natural, it has vitamins so there is some nutritional value to it, it has none of the dangerous trans fat found in other foods, it is heart healthy and can help lower your cholesterol.
Studies show it may lower your blood pressure and help reduce the risk of some types of cancer. It can help the buildup and clogging of arteries, which is linked to Alzheimer’s and helps lower your risk of gallstones. Wow, a healthy little bit of liquid.
How does a company actually make Olive oil?
Flavor in olives has a LOT to do with the soil it is grown on. So you start by picking the ripe green olive, the critical time is between picking and pressing where it can mold so this step is critical, once the leaves and twigs and other debris are removed.
The entire olive, pit and all go into the press and are ground up. Then the oil is separated from the rest which yield the oil that is then further treated to make it what you get in your kitchen.
What makes olive oil, Extra Virgin?
To make the list as extra virgin olive oil, the oil must be less than one percent in acidity where regular olive oil can be over three times that amount.
Standard virgin olive oil has to maintain less than two percent acidity. So now you know all about what makes it regular, virgin or extra virgin.
How do you find the Best olive oil?
You have to look for an extra virgin olive oil that has been cold pressed, unfiltered, and looks cloudy. In addition, oil needs to be in dark glass bottles to protect from damaging effects caused by light. A great selection you'll find online in the Amazon widget above or at OliveNation.
Conclusion
Serious cooks and aficionados of fine cuisine liken the use of olive oil to a fine wine, you should never cook with either unless it is of a quality that you could or would drink.
That means that unless it is flavorful enough to enjoy alone, it will not benefit your cooking or the flavor of your meal.
Extra virgin oil has more aroma and flavor than virgin oil, so virgin is better to use when frying roasting or grilling.
