Extra Virgin Olive Oil: What it is and why It’s Essential in the Mediterranean Diet
“Extra virgin olive oil, or extra virgin olive oil, is a product with” high nutritional and health value. Produced by cold pressing olive fruits, “it is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and polyphenols, substances with antioxidant and protective properties for the cardiovascular system. One of the most well-known benefits of” extra virgin olive oil is its protective effect on cholesterol, which can help prevent “arteriosclerosis and heart disease. Furthermore,” extra virgin olive oil is a precious ingredient in many Mediterranean cuisine dishes, known to be one of the healthiest diets in the world.
What Does Extra Virgin Olive Oil Mean?
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is obtained through cold extraction or the ancient method of pressing olives.
EVO is the acronym for Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Extra Virgin Oil in English), a term given by agronomist Massimo Epifani although the attribution is not entirely certain as TV host Rachel Ray in 2007 claimed to have been the inventor of the term “E.V.O.O.” introducing it with the double “o” which stands for Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Whoever the inventor, the acronym has commercially dressed the product, subsequently becoming a popular term.
What’s the Difference between EVO Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
There is no difference between EVO Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil, as they are two terms identifying the same product. EVO Oil has the same acidity characteristics and organoleptic properties as Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The substantial difference lies in the quality of various extra virgin oils depending on the country of production and the quality of olives brought to the mill.
EVO and Extra Virgin Identify the Same Excellent Product
“EVO Oil is the highest quality achievable for an oil obtained from pressing olives. In addition to” Extra Virgin Olive Oil, different qualitative types of olive oil are produced with characteristics in decreasing order starting from “olive oil up to” lampante oil. Recognizing a good Olive Oil is very important.
Guide to Choosing and Storing Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Why is Extra Virgin Olive Oil Important?
Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of the most excellent and irreplaceable products of the Mediterranean diet. It has numerous nutritional properties and is rich in vitamins E and K as well as minerals such as Sodium, Potassium, Iron and Zinc in addition to polyphenols and phytosterols.
In many Asian countries, Extra Virgin Olive Oil is considered a detox medicine. Even the American Food and Drug Administration has considered Extra Virgin Olive Oil as an aid to the body’s well-being.
Daniele Salvagno, President of Redoro Frantoi Veneti, usually tells visitors that his grandparents, after bathing, would cover the children’s skin with a solution of lukewarm water and a tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil to make the children’s skin soft and nourished.
Even today, he usually takes a tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in a glass of lukewarm water, even with a quantity of lemon juice to taste, on an empty stomach in the morning.
If you want to know more about “extra virgin olive oil and its health benefits, you can take a” look at the “article ‘The beneficial effects of’ extra virgin olive oil on health” which offers a detailed overview of the healthy properties of this precious ingredient.
Where Can You Buy Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
“EVO oil can be found in any grocery store or supermarket: it is necessary to verify the quality of the” EVO Oil you want to buy in order to recognize a good extra virgin olive oil.
Redoro Frantoi Veneti has an online store for the sale of their own production of EVO Oil.
In large-scale retail distribution, the variety of products is considerable: ranging from low-quality products (often not of Italian origin and production) to our national excellences from almost all regions of Italy.
Always check the label to verify the origin, production year, and quality of the Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
What is the Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
There are 3 countries above all that produce quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil:
• Italy
Italy boasts over 500 varieties of Olives, surpassing by 10 times the country that comes closest in terms of olive variety. The microclimate present in every corner of this wonderful country called Italy favors product diversification that grows on equally diverse soil morphologies, giving our olives an unmistakable nuance and taste from valley to valley.
• Greece
An olive tree grows in every corner of Greece. Although with far fewer varieties, Greece boasts “excellent quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil, so much so that it is considered a treasure and a national heritage. If you notice, in high-end restaurants, you will hardly find an” oil cruet on the table. They will surely bring you excellent bread sprinkled with their EVO Oil, but you will have to explicitly request if you want “Extra Virgin Olive Oil for your dishes”.
• Spain
Spain is the largest European producer of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It has cultivations distributed over immense spaces, producing truly significant quantities of Oil.
We may be biased, but we consider “EVO Oil as an ingredient and never as a condiment. This substantial difference in meaning offers” Italy a panorama significantly superior to all other countries.
If we think about the variety of recipes and dishes that culturally every corner of every city in every Italian region can boast, it is easily understandable that the slightest nuance of fragrances and flavors of an Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil makes all the difference in the world in enhancing that specific dish.
A heritage, that of Italian cuisine, unrepeatable anywhere else in the world.
How much Does EVO Oil Cost?
Today, with the scarcity of product and the increase in production and storage costs, a good Extra Virgin Olive Oil on the shelf cannot cost less than €10 per Liter. The processing for the production of “EVO Oil is truly remarkable and is distributed throughout the” solar year. The work of olive farmers and growers finds no rest from January to December, especially in these difficult periods due to weather conditions that greatly affect both the resistance of the plants and the proliferation of parasites that can seriously compromise both the quality and production of olives.
Here is an example of the “seasonal trend of Olive cultivation” [December 2024]
What is the Difference between EVO Oil and EVOO?
The two acronyms can be classified as essentially the same: the first concisely indicates the product (Extra Virgin Oil) while the second specifies it in more detail (Extra Virgin Olive Oil).
| Redoro Oil Production Line | Number of Bottles per Package | Cost per Package |
| Italian EVO oil GOLD selection | 6 Bottles of 1 Liter | € 96.00 |
| Italian Organic EVO Oil | 6 Bottles of 1 Liter | € 108.00 |
| Italian Integral EVO Oil | 6 Bottles of 1 liter | € 111.00 |
| Extra Virgin Garda PDO | 6 Bottles of 0.5 L | € 102.00 |
| Extra Virgin Veneto Valpolicella PDO | 6 Bottles of 0.5 L | € 102.00 |
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Production Stages
