Inevitably, I came across olive oil in my search. Olive oil is a ubiquitous ingredient in Italian cooking, with different olive cultivars specific to different regions. Personally, I love olive oil. I will be the first one to admit that I am an absolute olive oil snob- I would rather spend $20 on a bottle of high quality EVOO than buy what Bertolli attempts to pass off as "olive oil".
But what does "Extra Virgin" Olive Oil mean? The term "extra virgin" refers to the processed used to make the olive oil. In other places around the world, the IOC (International Olive Council) creates and enforces the standard of "extra virgin". However, there is no such body in the US to regulate the production of Olive Oil. When you see "extra virgin" on your bottle of olive oil, you can only hope that the producer has used fresh olives, pressed the olives at the right temperature, and has not added any additives or other oils.
The only real way to tell if an olive oil is good or not is to taste it. This is why I like to buy olive oil at places where you can taste it before you buy it. My favorite olive oil store in the world is called Gustare- an olive oil and balsamic vinegar merchandiser located in Chatham, Cape Cod. Not only do they sell olive oils from various regions around the world, they sell delicious infused oils- such as Tuscan Herbs, Chipotle, and Porcini mushroom olive oils.
Stores where you can taste olive oil before you buy are popping up everywhere- I'd definitely recommend checking one out. In the meantime, if you want to buy a good olive oil, I would recommend the following retailers:
- Whole Foods
- Trader Joe's
- Williams-Sonoma
- Dean & DeLuca
- Colavita
- California Olive Ranch
- Nuñez de Prado Extra Virgin
- Trader Joe's California Estate
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