In this post I am not going to talk about the benefits of olive oil as in most of the other posts so far and I am going to start instead a new chapter on this blog, that is, the review of various

Greeks harvesting olives

types of olive oils. My aim is to provide my numerous readers (thanks again for all the support emails!) verified information to be more informed on which olive oil they should buy to enjoy the best health benefits of olive oil.

I am going to start this chapter with Greek olive oil, and discuss some of the varieties of such a great producer. One question many of the readers have asked me is: can you get good Greek olive oil online? The answer is yes. One thing that I have pointed out in one of my previous posts on Italian vs. Spanish vs. Greek olive oil is that much of the Italian and other olive oil you consume is already partially or entirely from Greece – look for the telltale “GR” under “Country of Origin”.  However,  you know that not all the olive oils you buy at the supermarket would ever make my kitchen so keep reading for more details!

Tassos Greek Olive Oil

Tassos olive oil  comes from Crete and is one of the best oils from outside of Greece. This is a greenish-tinged oil which is rich but has a smooth flavor.  For a long time, it was only available on line in a massive three-liter container. It can be used for dipping, salads, cooking, and baking. More recently it is also available in smaller quantities -as well as olives, honeys, spreads and even as feta stuffed marinated red peppers – directly from the manufacturer’s website, Tassos.com.

Liohori Olive Oil

Another great Cretan olive oils. It is available at a good price in three-liter tin

Cretan olive oils

Taste of Crete Olive Oil

This extra-virgin olive oil comes from the area of Sitia in the northeastern part of Crete, rich in Minoan ruins and kept cool by breezes -and sometimes winds- blowing across the Aegean sea. Made from Koroneki olives, this is a milder, reasonably-priced oil.

Aegean Kalamata Olive Oil

Though Kalamata olives are known for their unique, strong flavor, the olive oils themselves are not as spicy. A large three-liter metal can supplies you with extra-virgin olive oil for a few meals at least.

Kalamata Olive Oils

If the average consumer knows one word of Greek in conjunction with olives, it is probably “Kalamata”, the term for the strong, pointy, purple-colored olives often served at Greek restaurants worldwide. However, Kalamata olive oil is not purple, as a bottle of any of these olive oils will prove.

With this traditional olive oil I conclude on my first post trying to explore the different types of olive oils available on the net. For each olive oil I am going to talk about, I will have talked with the producer and often tasted my self the oil to make sure that all the olive oil benefits I have talked about are embodied in the various oils. Every now and then, I will also talk about olives and other olive products to make sure you can have more olive benefits and taste in your kitchen and life in general!

I have talked several times now about olive oil benefits, cold pressed extra virgin olive oil and how to distinguish amongst different types of olive oil. In this article I am going to start a series of articles dedicated to understanding how to choose the real olive oil that can bring the most benefits.

Today I will be talking about understanding Italian olive oil certifications using the two most important standardised marks, that is, the DOP and the IGP. The DOP certification of olive oil brings the most guarantees as my description of what producers need to demonstrate in order to obtain such a certification.

olive oil - DOP certification

Benefits of DOP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

You know that for me olive oil means Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil Benefits, so I am going to focus on this type of oil to talk about the DOP certification. However, most of what I say here applies to all the types of olive oil I described in my article about cold pressed olive oil – how to choose.

The first mark you need to know is the DOP mark. DOP stands for Denominazione di Origine Protetta (Protected Destination of Origin). This mark is dedicated to the food industry and can be found on wine, mozzarella, and other products produced in Italy. When an olive oil bottle shows this mark it means that the olive oil has gone through a scrupulous quality process that assesses thoroughly the quality of the territory where the olive oil has been produced.

DOP is a guarantee for the olive oil consumer. By drinking olive oil exhibiting sugh a certification, you can be assured that the whole product process, from the rough material to the final bottle, has been executed within the specified area which is known to provide quality olive oil. The area is analyse taking into account both natural and human properties, as well as production and transformation techniques. In other words, DOP olive oil is a guarantee of quality and verified final product, but also a guarantee that the olive oil is unique and inimitable.

DOP Olive Oil Regulations

The DOP certification was born in 1992 following the CEE 2081/92 regulations of the European Community. A DOP certified product is protected against counterfeits within all the European Unity territory.
To receive a DOP certification, the conditions specified in the second article of the CEE 2081/92 must be met.
1) The particular qualities and characteristics of the final products must be deriving from the specific origin the product has been produced in. This includes natural elements as well as production cycles, local knowledge, and so on.
2) The rough material is produced and processed within the region certified by the DOP mark.

In other words, DOP Olive oil must be made using olives farmed and transformed within the DOP region.

To obtain a DOP certification, olive oil producers have to follow a quality production and certification process under the control of an Italian body which has received the authorisation to provide DOP certifications by the Italian Minister of Agriculture. Obtaining the certification is just the start. Producers will be subject to periodic reviews and assessments that aim to guarantee the highest level of quality is preserved.

IGP Extra Virgin Olive Oil  vs. DOP Extra Virgin Olive oil

olive oil IGP certification

IPG stands for Indicazione Geografica Protetta (Protected Geographic Origin) and it is attributed to agricultural products when only one of the phases of the production process has been achieved in a certified area.

The key difference between DOP and IGP olive oil is that to get the IGP certification, the body will verify that at least 1 phase has actually been executed in the certified area, whereas the DOP certification guarantee that all the phases are executed within the area and following the traditional production processes.

Note

This article is based on information found on the internet in several authoritative websites selected personally by the author. Some of the content has been re-elaborated using Olio di Oliva DOP e olio IGP as a reference.

Which olive oil to choose? Which oil provides the best olive oil benefits? A question even olive oil lovers (like me, of course!) must have asked themselves several times. Imagine you are in the supermarket staring at the olive oil shelf with more than 20-30 varieties of oil, in different bottles, names, origins, colours. Which one is the healthier and tastier, should I spend that extra amount to get that bottle instead of this more affordable one?

In this article I do not want to cover all the possible dimensions that can help you choose the best olive oil for your needs (everybody may have different needs after all!), but I want to help you understand more about the three main Mediterranean countries producing and exporting olive oil.

First of all, is there a difference between Italian, Spanish and Greek olive oil?

Yes, for sure there is a taste difference. First, olive trees in these countries belong to different species. Second, taste is often based on soil conditions and climate.

However, if you are not a professional olive oil taster, the difference may be subtle and you may not be able to distinguish different varieties of olive oil based on country of origin. For many people the difference is more evident when it comes to other dimensions such as the preparation process, how fresh the oil is, acidity, etc.

Another important aspect is that consumer surveys have shown that different people prefer different types of olive oil, in other words which olive oil to choose may depend on you particular taste! But let’s briefly cover the differences between these different types of olive oil.

What is the true about Greek Olive Oil vs. Italian Olive Oil vs. Spanish Olive oil

To answer this question I want to make two points that are not new to olive oil experts. First, it is known that Italy as a country consumes more olive oil of what they actually product. This means that Italian olive oil producers often have to import oil from Spain and Greece! They are then the best (amongst these countries) on marketing it, meaning that it can happen the Italian olive oil that people find in supermarkets may actually come or be mixed with olive oils from other countries.

To explain the second point I want to tell about the olive oil awakening that has happened to a few friends of mine (from USA, Australia, UK) when they visited me in my home region in Southern Italy. What happened? Simple, I took them to a local oil mill and made them test olive oil just coming out from the olive press. It was an amazing experience for them, they told me that even if they usually buy Italian olive oil from the supermarket, they never though olive oil could have such a taste.

Basically, the true is that the question which country products the best olive oil is the wrong one! Olive oil from Italy may be as good as olive oil from Spain or olive oil from Greece. It all depends on the fresheness, quality of olive oil and your taste!

Hi there, my name is Vito, welcome to the first post on this newborn site!

My family is from southern Italy and for many generations has owned vast fields of olive trees and produced one of the most taste and succulent olive oils. I have travelled quite a bit and honestly can see how little is know about the benefits of olive oil, where to find the best olive oil products and how much difference there is between olive oil and olive oil.

I have therefore decided to open this website aiming at creating the a comprehensive authoritative resource on what is true about olive oil and where to find the best products worldwide. On this websites you will be able to find:

• Olive oil benefits: scientifically proven information about the several benefits of using olive oil in your diet. I will be focusing on olive oil health benefits but I will not limit the scope of this website to this. During my PhD I have learned how to discern between reliable information sources and noise so I will put in practice this for you here.
• Olive oil products: you will be surprised about how many different products you can use to take advantage of the many properties of olive oil. I will research the best products and talk about them
• Where to buy olive oil products: I want to be sure you find the right places where to buy olive oil products because I know that there can be a huge difference between olive oil and olive oil. So stay tuned to find places online or offline where you can find what is good for your needs.
• News about olive oil: if anything new is discovered about the benefits of olive oil, I will let you know. I will only talk about relevant news on new products or discoveries for your benefit.

That is it for now. As you can see my posts will always be succinct and limited to the key information you need about each topic. I do now want to overload you with information (we are already overloaded enough!) but I will add relevant links when needed to gather more information about a topic.

I hope you like this resource and if you are knowledgeable about olive oil and love it, do get in touch with me if you want to work with me on this website. I am looking for editors with real passion about olive oil.