A lot of my clients and friends from different parts of the world often ask me why they should buy the more expensive extra virgin olive oil, as opposed to simply olive oil. Extra virgin olive oils are the pure juice of cold pressed olives. 'Olive oil', apart from a small percentage of extra virgin, is oil extracted with the help of harmful chemicals, which of course end up in the bottle. To make things more confusing, I have seen cheap olive oil marketed as 'light' , which doesn't change the result: harmful chemicals.
The best extra virgin olive oils are 'single estate' ones, from small producers such us the ones here in Sabina, who harvest the olives at the right time, when they are turning from green to black. This ensures low acidity and plenty of antioxidants. The quantity produced might be less from each tree, but the quality is at its highest. This explains why good extra virgin olive oil is not cheap.
Moreover, would you buy olive oil from a huge company that also make washing powder and underarm deodorant? I wouldn't, even if their marketing image screams 'Italian-authentic-traditional'.
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