Bitterness and pungency are not defects, on the contrary, they represent two key tactile sensations in EVO oils. They are evaluated in the organoleptic analysis (read how to taste an EVO oil in our guide) and must always be present, as they are indices of polyphenols (the intensity will also depend on the type of cultivar used for the production of the extra virgin olive oil). The healthier the olives are, the more they are picked with care and at the right time (veraison) and pressed at controlled temperature, the more the bitter and pungency sensations will be equilibrate and pleasing to the palate.

Of course you can fry with extra virgin olive oil! You should prefer it instead of other vegetable and seed oil. Why? The smoke point, which means its stability when it is used over high temperature, is one of the higher among all. Learn how to fry with EVOO in our panzerotti recipe and try also to fry your favourite food, as chicken, fish, potato, doughnut!

Yes you can, you should prefer EVOO instead of them. It must be said that vegetable and seed oils do not have the same nutritional characteristics as extra virgin olive oil nor its health characteristics. Healthy features that protect both our body and the food we are cooking. In addition, EVO oils are real “fruit juices” as they derive from a simple mechanical pressing of the olives, while seed oils derive from a chemical extraction (traces of the chemicals can remain in the final product) and are much less healthy.

EVO oil is a perishable food and, unlike wine, the more time passes from milling, the more its organoleptic and nutritional qualities decrease (read here how to best preserve EVO oil).
When we talk about olive oil we are talking about minimum storage time (TMC) not so much about an actual expiration date. Usually it is 18 months from bottling and indicates the minimum time within which the EVO oil maintains the nutritional and organoleptic qualities indicated. After this time the oil is still edible, even if, in all likelihood, it will no longer have the health benefits that characterize it.
But beware of “raw” or unfiltered oils. The deposit of sludge on the bottom of the bottle represents a real field of substances that considerably reduce the life of your EVO oil, especially its beneficial substances.

Extra virgin olive oil is gluten free! It is a proper olive juice with no additives added. 

Of course olive oil is good for your health! Extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest fat in the world.
EVO Oil is amazingly rich in antioxidants, which help to prevent the cellular damage caused by the free radicals molecules. 
Here is the EFSA approved health claim on olive oil polyphenols (Commission Regulation (EU) 432/2012): “Olive oil polyphenols contribute to the protection of blood lipids from oxidative stress. The claim may be used only for olive oil which contains at least 5 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives (e.g. oleuropein complex and tyrosol) per 20 g of olive oil. The beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 20 g of olive oil.”

Extra virgin olive oil is vegan! It is a proper olive juice. Read more about the extra virgin olive oil production in our article.  

Olive oil calories are around 884 Kcal per 100 g of product. Other vegetable oils (peanuts, soy, sunflower seeds) have similar values, but they lack scientifically proven health benefits which we can instead benefit from when consuming olive oils. Read more in our article about extra virgin olive oil calories.

To obtain the beneficial effects from extra virgin olive oil, a daily intake of at least 20 g is recommended. Read more in our article.

The EU organic logo is represented by 12 stars forming a leaf and has a green background. The organic logo can only be used on products that have been certified as organic by an authorized control agency. The logo can only be used on products when they contain at least 95% organic ingredients.

Extra virgin olive oils can be obtained from a single variety of olives (and so be called monocultivar or monovarietal EVOO) or from more than one cultivar (blend or multicultivar).

There are no differences in quality between the two types of EVO oils: to go with one or the other is simply a choice which each producer makes thinking about the flavour and characteristics they ultimately want to obtain for their EVO oils. In monovarietal extra virgin olive oils, it is possible to perceive all the aromas and flavors of the single variety of olive used; in a blend or multicultivar, we can appreciate the choices made by the producer to create an EVOO which is a mix of a selected batch of cultivars.

EVOO is an acronymous which stand for:

Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

Wild and cultivated olive trees have 46 chromosomes, just like humans!