Olive Oil (cognac, cooking, CostCo, cost)

[picklejuice]

Originally Posted by psulions2007

In the past, I have experimented with several types of olive oil. My current iteration is Trader Joe's Spanish Olive Oil...the one that comes corked and is just above $5. So far, this is my favorite olive oil so far with a very rich, unique flavor!

Unfortunately, I am almost out of this oil. I've been exploring local grocery stores, including Whole Foods, where I found an Australian olive oil. Has anyone tried this or any other Australian olive oils? What are your thoughts and how does the taste compare to standard Spanish, Italian, and Greek oils?

Also, any suggestion on oils at all will be great! Let me know your favorite!

Carapelli.

[Redisca]

I thought I had a fairly refined palate, but frankly, I can't tell the difference in taste between filtered olive oils of different origin. I typically have two types of olive oil at home:

1. Filtered virgin olive oil for cooking. I buy whatever is cheapest.

2. Unfiltered olive oil for salads and finishing. It's greenish and slightly cloudy. It's a bit on the expensive side, but it's used in small quantities, anyway.

[Oerdin]

I don't have a favorite and instead it depends on what I'm cooking. Some dishes need a light fruity olive oil while others needs a stronger oil that stands up to heat better. It all depends.

[chicagojlo]

I use the Sams currently, decanted into a smaller (and nicer looking!) bottle.

I'm a fan of the Trader Joes and usually buy that if I'm out and will be going anywhere near a TJs.

I would go with the Berio if I couldn't get either of those. My Sicilian friend (born and raised, not has a relative that went to Italy once) would go for the Berio if she was out of what she brought back from her last trip home and I always defer to her when it comes to anything Italian.

[Jordan2010]

Well, i'm just not so professional to tell the difference, so ..........

[Oerdin]

Jordan, you have to be careful with buying cheap olive oil especially if it comes from North Africa (as most cheap olive oil does) because adulterating olive oil with cheaper substitutes or using chemically processed oil is rampant with north African producers.

[jaijai]

Hi food people.
I listened to this on NPR this evening ... Terri Gross talking with the author of a book about olive oil.
I, a lover of olive oil, thought it was really interesting.
It's only about 20 minutes.

Losing 'Virginity': Olive Oil's 'Scandalous' Fraud : NPR

"Extra-virgin olive oil is a ubiquitous ingredient in Italian recipes, religious rituals and beauty products. But many of the bottles labeled "extra-virgin olive oil" on supermarket shelves have been adulterated and shouldn't be classified as extra-virgin, says New Yorker contributor Tom Mueller.
Mueller's new book, Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, chronicles how resellers have added lower-priced, lower-grade oils and artificial coloring to extra-virgin olive oil, before passing the new adulterated substance along the supply chain. (One olive oil producer told Mueller that 50 percent of the olive oil sold in the United States is, in some ways, adulterated.)"

[SCGranny]

So rather than being a virgin oil, it's an adulterous one?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by jaijai

Hi food people.
I listened to this on NPR this evening ... Terri Gross talking with the author of a book about olive oil.
I, a lover of olive oil, thought it was really interesting.
It's only about 20 minutes.

Losing 'Virginity': Olive Oil's 'Scandalous' Fraud : NPR

"Extra-virgin olive oil is a ubiquitous ingredient in Italian recipes, religious rituals and beauty products. But many of the bottles labeled "extra-virgin olive oil" on supermarket shelves have been adulterated and shouldn't be classified as extra-virgin, says New Yorker contributor Tom Mueller.
Mueller's new book, Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, chronicles how resellers have added lower-priced, lower-grade oils and artificial coloring to extra-virgin olive oil, before passing the new adulterated substance along the supply chain. (One olive oil producer told Mueller that 50 percent of the olive oil sold in the United States is, in some ways, adulterated.)"

I'm not surprised it isn't truely virgin, but I don't care, I will continue to use it the way I do.

Nita

[Debsi]

Originally Posted by SCGranny

So rather than being a virgin oil, it's an adulterous one?

LOL Granny.