Olive Oil For Dummies

Amy Riolo is an author, chef, and Mediterranean expert. She’s also the author of Mediterranean Lifestyle For Dummies and Italian Recipes For Dummies. Simon Poole, MD, is a medical doctor, author, and authority on the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle. He has appeared on the BBC as an olive oil expert and organized conferences on olive oil.

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

Foolish Assumptions 4

Icons Used in This Book 4

Beyond the Book 5

Where to Go from Here 5

Part 1: Introduction to Olive Oil 7

Chapter 1: Exploring the Story of Olive Oil 9

Defining the Olive Tree throughout its History 10

From wilderness to farm 10

From ship to shore 12

Shaping ancient empires 12

Religious and culinary influences 17

Recognizing the New World of Olive Oil 21

Groves going west 21

Expansion into Asia and beyond 23

Olive oil in Africa 23

Chapter 2: Understanding Olive Oil Classifications 25

Recognizing the classifications of olive oil 26

Olive oil categories 26

Classification standards 29

Defining Other Olive Oil Standards 31

Australia 32

Naooa 32

Oocc 32

Pdo/dop 33

Igp/pgi 34

Slow Food Presidia 35

Organic 35

Chapter 3: Appreciating the Production Process 37

Producing the Best Product 38

Tree care and maintenance 38

Keeping enemies at bay 39

Environmental challenges 39

Harvest time 40

Processing at the Mill 44

Juicing the fruit 45

Waste not, want not 46

Storing at the mill 47

Maintaining “Green” Groves 48

Built-in sustainability of olive trees 48

Sustainable farming 49

Modern mills 50

Chapter 4: Explaining Quality and Comparisons with Other Oils 53

Recognizing Quality Olive Oil 54

Olive oil fraud 54

Defective olive oil 56

Testing Criteria for EVOO 57

Tasting panels and laboratory tests 58

Sensory categories 59

Comparing EVOO to Other Oils 61

What makes EVOO different 61

Bioactive compounds in EVOO 62

Part 2: How Olive Oil Improves Health 65

Chapter 5: Choosing Healthy Fats 67

Identifying Different Types of Fat 68

Correlating fats to cholesterol and health 69

Understanding how fats relate to calories and weight 72

Determining the Benefits of Eating Healthy Fats 74

Olive oil: A fat for life 75

Other foods that contain nutrient-rich fats 76

Chapter 6: Incorporating Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Polyphenols 79

Understanding Polyphenols 80

Plants have a survival instinct 81

Polyphenols and inflammation 83

Knowing the Extraordinary Polyphenols in EVOO 86

Naturally high in polyphenols 86

Conditions that effect the levels of olive polyphenols 87

Chapter 7: Recognizing Olive Oil’s Role in the Mediterranean Diet 89

Focusing on Olive Oil as the Primary Ingredient 90

Reflecting on the extraordinary benefits 90

Measuring the effects of the diet 95

Considering Olive Oil as Medicine 97

Ancient olive-oil treatments 97

Mediterranean cultural practices 98

Chapter 8: Maximizing the Health Benefits of Olive Oil 101

Examining the Benefits of EVOO 102

The protective power of olive oil 103

Discovering the compounds in EVOO 108

Tasting the polyphenols of EVOO 111

Knowing Your Daily Intake 112

Increasing the Efficacy 113

Combining EVOO with other nutritional foods 113

Having a healthy gut 114

Part 3: Incorporating Olive Oil Into Your Daily Life 117

Chapter 9: Tasting Olive Oil Properly 119

Considering the Flavor Profiles 120

Enjoying the flavor 120

Understanding flavor features 121

Matching taste with health benefits 126

Working with the Best EVOO 127

Becoming a defect detective 128

Taking a deeper dive into EVOOs chemistry 128

Chapter 10: Deciphering the Taste of Different Varieties 131

Checking Out Varieties of Olive Oil 132

Discovering cultivars in different countries 133

Blending flavors 142

Considering total polyphenol levels 142

Beginning to Combine EVOOs with Foods 144

Chapter 11: Pairing Extra-Virgin Olive Oil with Food and Wine 147

Understanding How to Complement Flavors 148

Pairing EVOO with Food 148

Matching EVOOs with Wine 151

Part 4: Choosing Extra-virgin Olive Oil 157

Chapter 12: Buying Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 159

Deciphering the Labels 160

Nutrition labels 160

Legal necessities 162

Unnecessary or misleading phrases on labels 163

Harvest and “best before” dates 164

Acidity and other values 165

Getting to Know Your EVOO 167

Region of origin 167

Telling the origin story 167

Health claims on labels and advertising 168

Chapter 13: Recognizing Proper Packaging and Storage 171

Recognizing a Good EVOO Label 172

Looking out for quality indicators 172

Having attractive presentations 173

Maintaining EVOO’s Quality 175

EVOO retail packaging 176

Advances in EVOO packaging 178

Maximizing storage at home 179

Chapter 14: Purchasing, Price, and Affordability 181

Prioritizing the Purchase of EVOO 182

Comparing affordability: Western diet versus Mediterranean-style diets 182

Supporting the cost of EVOO 183

Evaluating purchasing options 184

Examining prices and value 189

Choosing the quality of EVOO 189

Understanding the EVOO market 192

Getting the Most Out of Your EVOO 193

Part 5: Creating Dishes with Extra-virgin Olive Oil 195

Chapter 15: Cooking, Frying, and Preserving with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 197

Cooking with EVOO for Flavor and Nutrition 198

Understanding the science 199

Exploring the cooking methods 200

Frying in EVOO 202

Preserving Food in EVOO 205

Chapter 16: Baking and Pastry-Making with Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 207

Swapping Out Butter for EVOO 208

Choosing EVOO for Breads and Sweet Treats 210

Part 6: Cooking with Extra-virgin Olive Oil 215

Chapter 17: Base Recipes 217

Chapter 18: Breakfast and Brunch 231

Starting Your Day with a Shot of EVOO 232

Working EVOO into Your Morning Routine 232

Chapter 19: Appetizers 243

Chapter 20: First Courses 255

Chapter 21: Second Courses 265

Chapter 22: Desserts 277

Part 7: Diving Deeper and the Future For Olive Oil 287

Chapter 23: Enrolling in Tasting/Sommelier Classes and Oleo Tourism 289

Tasting at a Whole New Level 290

Sampling olive oil in an informal setting 291

Approaching EVOO like a pro: sommelier training 291

The language of aroma and flavor 292

Discovering Oleo Tourism 293

Planning your visit to a grove 294

Combining travel experiences 295

Tasting at the mill 296

Chapter 24: The Future of Olive Oil 299

Cultivating Better Production and Quality 300

Identifying new innovations 300

Improving standards and traceability 301

Spreading the Great News of EVOO 302

Promoting the health benefits of EVOO 303

Creating opportunities for further education 304

Part 8: the Part of Tens 309

Chapter 25: Ten Other Uses for Olive Oil 311

Bathing in olive oil 313

Removing Makeup 313

Glossing and Nourishing Your Hair 314

Shaving Oil 314

Making Facial Masks 314

Treating Your Hair 316

Exfoliating Your Skin 316

Conditioning Your Hands 317

Moisturizing Your Skin 317

Cleansing Makeup Brushes 318

Chapter 26: Ten Easy Ways to Consume More Extra-Virgin Olive Oil 319

Cooking with EVOO 320

Drizzling for Added Flavor 320

Prioritizing Your Health 321

Eating More Vegetables and Salads 321

Consuming EVOO throughout the Day 322

Substituting with EVOO 322

Introducing Children to EVOO 323

Exploring New Tastes and Varieties 323

Redefining the Value of EVOO 324

Continuing Your Journey through Travel 324

Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide 325

Index 327